Banking Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

Banking Resume Examples

Years of Experience

Tips for Writing a Better Banking Resume

Strike the right tone to describe your banking background

For nearly any piece of regular writing, it’s important to choose language that sets and maintains a clear tone or “voice”. That rule applies equally to your job search documents. Here’s a quick overview of the voice you should aim for on each one:

• Resume: formal, forthright
• Cover Letter: engaged, confident
• LinkedIn Profile: friendly, personable

To achieve a forthright voice on your resume, use simple sentences and straightforward accounts of your experience. Keep this advice in mind especially when writing your Profile section, since you may be tempted (or think you need) to use “promotional” terms like “Exceptional” or “Outstanding at” when a more modest yet direct phrase like “Skilled at” is better.

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Rely on traditional fonts

For jobseekers in the banking sector, the best resume font is usually a classic serif style. Try one of these four: Cambria, Century, Book Antiqua, or Bookman Old Style. (Also, note that Century looks great in small caps for section headers.)

Avoid non-banking jargon

Any time you use a long word or phrase when a short one would do, that’s jargon. A classic example: People use the words “utilize” or “utilization” when they should use “use”.

Large companies and government agencies use jargon all the time to soften the blow of bad news. For instance, General Motors once described a plant shutdown as a “volume-related production-schedule adjustment”. (You’ll find this and many other examples of corporate jargon in William Zinsser’s classic book “On Writing Well”.)

Take the opposite approach on your resume. Your goal isn’t to conceal bad news, but to share the good news of your candidacy for a job opening. Any time you find yourself using a long word or phrase in your job descriptions, stop and ask: Is there a shorter equivalent? This habit will help make your resume a clear, concise record of what you offer to employers.

Common Key Skills for Banking Resumes

Companies looking to fill a position often use an applicant tracking system (ATS). This computer program scans each submitted resume for keywords relevant to the job at hand. When the ATS scans a resume with many relevant keywords, it’s more likely to flag the document for the hiring manager.

For this reason, you should add a keyword-rich “Skills” or “Expertise” section to your resume (as in the examples above). With this section you can show the breadth of your skillset and boost the chance your application gets noticed. Below are common keywords for banking professionals:

Common Action Verbs for Banking Resumes

One of the most frequent (yet avoidable) resume mistakes is using too few verbs. When you repeat the same generic verb (say, “Manage”) several times, it distracts the reader and fails to show the dynamic nature of your work. You can prevent this issue by using a healthy variety of action verbs on your resume. Consider the following options:

How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description

One of the best ways to tailor your resume for each posting is to give special attention to the industry.

In what industry or sector is the job posting? Do you have any experience in that industry as well? If so, cite that common experience in the first line of your resume’s Profile section. For example, if the job is at a brokerage firm you might start your Profile like this:

If you don’t have experience in the same industry, consider instead adding a line to your Profile that calls out your overall adaptability to new work settings.

Jobseekers with experience in various industries often list them in their resume Profile. We discourage this practice because it can make your overall resume seem unfocused and tends not to speak to a hiring manager’s specific needs. The only exception is if you’re applying for a consulting role or other job where you’d interact with people in many industries.