Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your strategic financial leadership and prowess in corporate fiscal management is a significant challenge faced by a CFO. Our guide provides you with tailored strategies and language to highlight your accomplishments, ensuring that your expertise resonates with the top-tier executive search firms and industry leaders.
- Answer job requirements with your cfo CV and experience;
- Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
- Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
- Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.
Do you need more specific insights into writing your cfo CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:
Formatting your cfo CV to meet the role expectations
Staring at the blank page for hours on end, you still have no idea how you should start your professional cfo CV. Should you include more colours, two columns, and which sections? What you should remember about your CV format is this - ensure it's minimalistic and doesn't go over the top with fancy fonts and many colours. Instead, focus on writing consistent content that actually answers the job requirements. But, how about the design itself :- Use the reverse chronological order to showcase your experience, starting with your most recent role;
- Include your contact details (email address, phone number, and location) - and potentially your professional photo - in the header;
- Must-have CV sections include summary or objective, experience, education, and skills: curate the ones that fit your profile;
- Your professional cfo CV should be between one-to-two pages long: select the longer format if you have more experience.
A little bit more about your actual CV design, ensure you're using:
- plenty of serif or sans serif font (e.g. Montserrat, Exo 2, Volkhov) as they are Applicant Tracker System (ATS) compliant. Avoid the likes of Arial and Times New Roman because most candidates' CVs are in this typography.
When submitting your CV, are you still not sure what format it should be? Despite the myth that has been circling around, most modern ATS systems are perfectly capable of reading PDFs. This format is an excellent choice as it keeps all of your information intact.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a cfo CV
- Professional Summary explains your expertise and value.
- Core Competencies showcase your financial skills and knowledge.
- Professional Experience details your leadership roles and achievements.
- Education and Certifications highlight relevant academic and professional qualifications.
- Key Achievements bullet-point impactful outcomes you've driven.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Emphasise your strategic leadership by highlighting experience in financial planning and business development, showcasing how you've contributed to long-term organisational growth.
- Demonstrate a strong track record in financial management by detailing complex budgets you've managed, cost-saving strategies implemented, and robust controls you've enacted.
- Include examples of successful negotiations and partnerships you've orchestrated that have had a significant financial impact or have led to innovative solutions in the finance domain.
- Reflect your understanding of regulatory frameworks by mentioning your experience in ensuring compliance with financial laws and standards, as well as your adeptness in risk management.
- Showcase your ability to lead and develop finance teams by highlighting any transformational changes you've led in finance departments, including systems upgrades or process improvements.
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Making a good first impression with your cfo CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for cfo:
- Chief Financial Officer | Expertise in Financial Strategy & Analysis | ACCA Certified | 12+ Years Experience
- Strategic Financial Leader | Corporate Finance & Treasury | CIMA Qualified | 15-Year Track Record
- Senior CFO | International Financial Management | Risk Mitigation Specialist | CPA | 20 Years’ Expertise
- Financial Executive Officer | M&A Integration | Budget Optimization | MBA | 18 Years in Finance
- Dynamic CFO | Capital Fundraising & Investor Relations | Chartered Accountant | 10+ Years Professional Journey
- Lead Financial Strategist | Cost Reduction & Profit Growth | FCA Accredited | 25 Years Senior Experience
Your cfo CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
cfo candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you cfo CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a cfo job:
- Seasoned CFO with over 15 years of experience managing multi-million pound financial operations, skilled in strategic planning and financial analysis. Spearheaded a successful financial restructuring, resulting in a 30% increase in profitability for a leading tech firm.
- Highly analytical and driven finance professional, bringing a decade of experience from top-tier investment banking to the CFO role. Adept at M&A, managing billion-pound portfolios, and implementing robust financial controls that outpaced industry growth by 25% over the past 3 years.
- Dynamic senior accountant aiming to transition into CFO responsibilities, having perfected financial forecasting and asset management over 8 years in a fast-paced multinational corporation, eager to drive financial success and shareholder value in a more strategic capacity.
- Award-winning financial analyst with 6 years of experience, aspiring to leverage my expertise in data-driven decision-making and advanced statistical analysis to transform an organisation's financial landscape as a forward-thinking CFO.
- Seeking to harness my strong dedication to financial excellence and passion for analytics as a CFO with no prior experience in this exact role, bringing 5 years of financial management experience and a proven track record of developing effective fiscal strategies that increased operational efficiency by 20%.
- Aiming to bridge my background in corporate law and 7 years of financial consultancy to the CFO discipline, ready to apply my risk management proficiency and keen insights into regulatory compliance to ensure fiscal robustness and integrity of financial reporting.
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your cfo CV experience section
The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:
- Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
- Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
- Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise;
- align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.
For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Led the financial strategy for a £50m revenue company, achieving a 20% increase in profitability over two years through cost optimisation and revenue diversification.
- Implemented robust financial controls and governance frameworks that reduced financial risk and ensured compliance with regulatory standards such as IFRS and GAAP.
- Managed relationships with stakeholders, including investors and banks, securing £30m in funding for business expansion and refinancing purposes.
- Directed the annual budgeting process, aligning financial targets with corporate objectives and facilitating cross-departmental collaboration to achieve fiscal discipline.
- Conducted comprehensive financial analysis to support mergers and acquisitions, leading to two successful integrations that expanded the company's market share.
- Developed and monitored key performance indicators (KPIs) to track financial health, providing the executive team with actionable insights for informed decision-making.
- Oversaw the implementation of a new ERP system that improved financial reporting efficiency and accuracy, resulting in a 15% reduction in month-end close time.
- Provided strategic financial input and leadership on decision-making issues affecting the company, especially in the evaluation of potential alliances and investments.
- Played a pivotal role in the turnaround of the company's financial performance, transitioning from a £5m loss to a sustainable £3m profit in three years.
- Engineered financial restructuring for a global retail operation, consolidating debt and reducing interest expenses by 20%
- Implemented a new data-driven financial analysis platform, boosting forecast accuracy by 25% and informing strategic decisions
- Negotiated and secured a £50m credit facility to support international expansion and product development initiatives
- Led all financial operations during a period of high-growth, driving revenues from £200m to £350m through strategic planning and capital investment
- Supervised the successful acquisition and financial integration of a competitor, expanding market share by 15%
- Directed a team of 50 finance professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development
- Orchestrated the turnaround of the company's financial systems, resulting in an increase in operational efficiency of 30%
- Played a key role in raising £70m from venture capital and debt financing rounds to accelerate product innovation
- Enhanced the risk management framework, reducing financial risk exposure by developing robust internal controls
- Formulated and executed the financial strategy for a merger deal worth £200m, creating a leading entity in the food retail sector
- Improved EBITDA margins by 5% through cost-control policies and optimizing supply chain operations
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to launch a new technology platform, enhancing customer engagement and sales
- Devised a strategic financial plan that reduced overall debt load by £100m within 18 months through aggressive cash management procedures
- Managed a complex budget of over £500m, consistently meeting financial targets and contributing to a 10% growth year-on-year
- Initiated and supervised a cross-border tax optimization project, achieving annual tax savings of 12%
- Led financial due diligence on multiple acquisition targets, resulting in the successful purchase of a logistics company for £80m
- Boosted the company's cash flow by 40% through strategic partnerships and optimizing inventory levels
- Scoped and implemented a comprehensive ERP system update, resulting in improved data integrity and reporting capabilities
- Spearheaded a digital transformation project in the finance department, introducing AI-driven analytical tools that reduced budgeting cycles by 50%
- Successfully managed investor relations during a period of significant share price volatility, stabilizing investor confidence
- Drove an aggressive cost-reduction initiative that saved the company £30m annually, reallocating funds to support R&D
- Restructured the company’s capital allocation process, improving ROIC by 8% and better aligning with long-term strategic goals
- Drove a successful bond issuance raising £250m to fund new infrastructure projects, diversifying capital and reducing reliance on bank loans
- Implemented stringent cost-saving measures that contributed to a 20% reduction in operating expenses over a 4-year period
What to add in your cfo CV experience section with no professional experience
If you don't have the standard nine-to-five professional experience, yet are still keen on applying for the job, here's what you can do:
- List any internships, part-time roles, volunteer experience, or basically any work you've done that meets the job requirements and is in the same industry;
- Showcase any project you've done in your free time (even if you completed them with family and friends) that will hint at your experience and skill set;
- Replace the standard, CV experience section with a strengths or achievements one. This will help you spotlight your transferrable skills that apply to the role.
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If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your cfo CV:
Financial Reporting
Strategic Planning
Risk Management
Budgeting and Forecasting
Tax Planning and Compliance
Cash Flow Management
Financial Analysis
Investor Relations
Corporate Finance
Accounting
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Strategic Thinking
Decision-Making
Change Management
Negotiation
Adaptability
Integrity
Teamwork
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
Listing your university education and certificates on your cfo CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
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Key takeaways
Your successful job application depends on how you well you have aligned your cfo CV to the job description and portrayed your best skills and traits. Make sure to:
- Select your CV format, so that it ensures your experience is easy to read and understand;
- Include your professional contact details and a link to your portfolio, so that recruiters can easily get in touch with you and preview your work;
- Write a CV summary if you happen to have more relevant professional experience. Meanwhile, use the objective to showcase your career dreams and ambitions;
- In your CV experience section bullets, back up your individual skills and responsibilities with tangible achievements;
- Have a healthy balance between hard and soft skills to answer the job requirements and hint at your unique professional value.
