How To Write a Personal Financial Advisor Resume
Your personal financial advisor resume should show you can work with clients to set and implement financial plans and offer investment advice. Also, it must demonstrate how you provide financial expertise and tailored guidance on managing personal assets. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a results-driven resume highlighting your top achievements as a financial advisor.
- Entry-level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-level
1. Write a brief summary of your personal financial advisor qualifications
Showcase your experience and career achievements with an attention-grabbing profile. This brief paragraph should begin with your job title, years in the field, and key qualifications that speak to employers’ needs. Study the job posting to understand what the organization or client is looking for so you can tailor your profile accordingly.
Position yourself as an industry authority. For instance, if you’ve pioneered innovative approaches to wealth management using cutting-edge fintech tools, call that out in your profile. Also, feature your ability to simplify complex financial matters for clients.
Senior-Level Profile Example:
Personal financial advisor with over 10 years of market-beating results. Skilled communicator who puts complex financial topics in clear terms for diverse clients. Listen closely to clients’ goals and circumstances, and use insights to form effective short- and long-term financial plans.
Entry-Level Profile Example:
Financial planning graduate with strong recent internship experience serving individuals and small businesses. Skilled at offering clients sound financial advice based on rigorous data analysis.
2. Add your personal financial advisor experience with compelling examples
Organize your work history in reverse chronological order, using bullet points to describe your achievements. Employers aren’t interested in a long list of duties – they want to know about the results you generated as a financial advisor. Use action verbs, data, and monetary figures to quantify your achievements.
Build trust throughout this section by emphasizing your client-centered conduct. Describe times when you prioritized clients’ best interests and acted ethically, putting their needs at the forefront of your financial advisory services.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example:
Senior Financial Advisor
Bennington Associates, Tallahassee, FL | December 2015 to present
- Manage relationships with over 50 clients
- Present investment options and strategies to clients with assets worth up to $5 million
- Research and recommend investment opportunities in emerging markets and industries
- Identify optimal tax- and fee-reduction strategies
- Regularly review and adjust portfolios as needed
Highlights:
- Outperformed team’s average annual returns by 4%
- Achieved a 99% customer satisfaction rating
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example:
Accounting and Finance Intern
WayUp, Manchester, NH | May 2022 to present
- Help produce budgets and financial projections for individuals and small businesses
- Contribute to fact-finding and progress meetings with clients, and respond to phone and email inquiries
Highlights:
- Earned high marks on all three formal reviews for overall diligence and customer focus
- Created and updated financial spreadsheets and reports with 99.9% accuracy
- Earned 98% positive feedback on all customer interactions
3. Outline your education and personal financial advisor-related certifications
After listing your formal education, include any finance-related certifications you’ve earned. While specialized credentials may not be required for every role, they can set you apart from similar applicants.
For example, a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) license shows you can sell investment products and build client confidence. On the other hand, a broader credential such as Certified Financial Advisor (CFP) shows your general expertise in the field.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in Financial Planning
- Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH | 2022
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Year – optional]
Example
- Certified Financial Advisor, Financial Professionals Association
- Series 6 and 7 licenses, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
4. List key skills and proficiencies for personal financial advisors
Show your mastery of financial planning by providing a list of your skills. As you compile your list, match your skills with those in the job posting of each position you apply for. This strategy helps optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS), which scan each submitted resume for keywords relevant to the job opening. Consider using any of the below terms and phrases:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Active listening | Asset management |
| Client education | Complex problem-solving |
| Consultative client relations | Data gathering and analysis |
| Fiduciary standard | Insurance |
| Investment rebalancing | Investment time horizon |
| Personal finance and investing | Regulatory compliance |
| Reporting and documentation | Retirement planning |
| Risk tolerance | Socially responsible investing |
| Target date funds | Task prioritization |
| Tax advice | Wealth management |
How To Pick the Best Personal Financial Advisor Resume Template
Choose a template that’s simple and readable. Your resume should be visually appealing, but not at the expense of your content. Stick with classic fonts that aren’t too decorative and color schemes that are easy on the eyes. Look for a template that presents your background clearly, with plenty of space for each section. Hiring managers should be able to easily scan your resume for information without getting distracted by elaborate style choices.
Personal Financial Advisor Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Danielle Dandria
(111) 111-1111 | [email protected] | 777 Seventh Street, St. Louis, MO 77777
Profile
Financial Advisor with 3+ years of experience. Skilled at translating clients’ values and priorities into clear, attainable financial goals and strategies. Firm grasp of many industry-standard software systems. Master of Science in Financial Analysis.
Key Skills
- EDGAR Database
- eMoney Advisor
- MoneyGuidePro
- QuickBooks
- Stock & Bond Research
- Tax Analysis
Professional Experience
Financial Advisor, Kansas Consultancy, Kansas City, KS | July 2019 to Present
- Execute trades on behalf of 50+ clients, managing $100M+ in total assets
- Help clients set viable short- and long-term financial plans
- Conduct initial assessment meetings and regular follow-ups
- Advise clients on tax considerations such as charitable contributions and personal deductions
Highlights:
- Identified undervalued investments, generating annualized ROI 4% higher than consultancy average
- Contributed to a client satisfaction rating of 99%
Financial Advisor Intern, RSR Advisors, Kansas City, KS | March 2019 to June 2019
- Researched and reported on tax changes to help find newly deductible expenses for clients
- Prepared presentation slides for supervising financial advisor’s client meetings
- Screened 50+ new clients and scheduled initial assessments
- Created reports on 12 exchange-traded funds and 36 mutual funds
Education
Master of Science (MS) – Financial Analysis, Kansas School of Business, Kansas City, KS | 2019
Bachelor of Science (BS) – Accounting, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO | 2017
Certification
Personal Finance Specialist, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors | 2020
Frequently Asked Questions: Personal Financial Advisor Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for personal financial advisor resumes?-
Liven up your resume with action verbs. Strong verbs help hiring managers see the impact you’ve made in past positions. Consider using some of the verbs below in your personal financial advisor resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Adapted | Allocated |
| Analyzed | Budgeted |
| Built | Calculated |
| Clarified | Conducted |
| Consolidated | Consulted |
| Created | Educated |
| Identified | Improved |
| Incorporated | Integrated |
| Monitored | Optimized |
| Presented | Prevented |
| Ranked | Rebalanced |
| Recommended | Researched |
| Updated | |
How do you align your resume with a personal financial advisor job posting?-
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for personal financial advisors will grow by 13% between 2022 and 2032, much faster than the average for all jobs. Baby boomers entering retirement will partly drive demand for personal financial advisors. Individuals must save and invest for their future as they seek retirement planning advice and companies continue eliminating pension plans.
Although opportunities will be abundant, you can expect stiff competition for the most coveted positions in your field. To boost your chances of an interview, align your resume with the job posting. Use the profile and key skills sections to emphasize information that speaks to the company’s needs.
For instance, if a financial advisory firm seeks a candidate specializing in retirement planning and investment strategies, tailor your resume accordingly. Highlight your extensive background crafting comprehensive retirement plans for clients and your ability to develop tax-efficient retirement income plans.
What is the best personal financial advisor resume format?-
Most personal financial advisors should use the combination (or hybrid) format. This format combines two important features of other resume formats: the chronological format’s experience section and the functional format’s profile section. (The resume examples on this page all use combination format, as do most resumes on Resume Builder.)
A combination resume offers the best of both worlds by fusing these features. The experience section lets you overview your recent work history – essential information for most employers. At the same time, the profile section lets you showcase your career highlights at the top, regardless if they’re from that work history or another part of your background.
The resulting resume is straightforward yet strategic. It gives hiring managers the clearest possible view of your experience and relevant strengths, so they can decide to call you for an interview.
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