How To Write a Senior Financial Analyst Resume
To write an eye-catching senior financial analyst resume, emphasize your background managing portfolios, financial reporting, and profit and loss (P&L) for large organizations. Demonstrate your proven track record of improving profitability, reducing operating costs, and helping businesses scale.
In this guide, we’ll provide valuable tips and insights to help you translate your career into an accomplishment-driven resume.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-level
1. Create a profile by summarizing your senior financial analyst qualifications
Leading your resume with a compelling snapshot of your career is the best way to make a strong first impression on recruiters and hiring managers. Start with an opening sentence that lists your title, years of experience, and three to four skills that align with the job description. In the subsequent sentences, call out unique aspects of your background as a financial analyst.
For example, if you’ve managed financial planning and analysis (FP&A) for enterprise or Fortune 500 companies in the past, feature this information prominently in your profile. If you’ve performed financial reporting and due diligence for multi-million dollar acquisitions, emphasize this experience at the top of your resume.
Profile Example #1
A Senior Financial Analyst with seven years of professional experience specializing in FP&A, financial reporting, accounting, and financial modeling. A proven track record of conducting high-level forecasting for enterprise organizations. Adept at leading initiatives to support scalability, improve profitability, and reduce operating costs.
Profile Example #2
A Senior Financial Analyst with eight years of experience defining financial strategies and leading change management initiatives for enterprise organizations. A strong history of identifying opportunities to enhance business transparency and drive long-term revenue growth.
2. Showcase your senior financial analyst experience
Your professional experience is arguably the most important section of the resume. This is where you can truly tell your story, leveraging past accomplishments to paint an engaging picture of your career. As you craft your bullet points, focus on highlighting your ability to create value for your organizations rather than listing mundane job responsibilities.
For example, if you were managing a large investment portfolio, be sure to include a monetary figure to establish a sense of scope for the reader. If your financial reporting efforts reduced expenses, improved revenue growth, or helped a business scale, include metrics and data to substantiate these wins.
Professional Experience Example #1
Senior Financial Analyst, Rockwell Financial Firm, Philadelphia, PA April 2016 – Present
- Manage a team of five Financial Analysts overseeing budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and financial reporting for a $50M corporate portfolio
- Conduct validation and verification activities on internal controls and global risk management procedures and perform comprehensive financial audits
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and corporate leaders to identify opportunities to enhance business operations and annual reduce operating costs by 10%
Professional Experience Example #2
Senior Financial Analyst, Excelsior Financial Partners, New York, NY April 2016 – Present
- Define modeling and financial strategies for an enterprise financial firm, improve business transparency to enhance planning and execution, and lead strategic initiatives to support revenue growth from $50M to $300M over five years
- Manage a team of five financial analysts, oversee modeling, analysis, and reporting of complex financial data and trends, and conduct forecasting to define strategies
- Spearhead change management initiatives and transformation projects to overhaul financial reporting, auditing, and KPIs for the organization
3. List your senior financial analyst education and certifications
Employers seeking senior financial professionals of any kind typically want someone with credentials. Include your degrees — accounting, finance, and business degrees first — and any relevant certifications you hold.
It’s okay to abbreviate common credentials, such as CPA, but avoid confusion by spelling out credentials on at least the first mention. For example, don’t simply include mentions of CFA or CAIA, as hiring managers may not be intimately familiar with every certification available. Instead, spell out Chartered Financial Analyst, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, or other credentials.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Accounting
- Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | 2014
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization],[Completion Year]
Example
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute, 2016
4. List your key senior financial analyst skills and proficiencies
The skills section of your resume lets you highlight specific knowledge and abilities you’ve honed over the years, setting you apart from less qualified candidates. As you create the skills section of your resume, consider how it can work in tandem with your professional experience section.
For example, you might want to highlight your cost analysis abilities. You can list cost analysis as one of your skills — and should if it appears as a need in the employer’s job description. At the same time, include the skill in one of your work experience bullets, writing something such as “implemented cost analysis processes to reduce departmental spending by 25%.”
Some skills you might want to include on your senior financial analyst resume include:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Accounting | Account reconciliation |
| Auditing | Budgeting |
| Cost analysis | Finance |
| Financial analysis | Financial auditing |
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) | Financial modeling |
| Financial operations | Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) |
| Financial reporting | Forecasting |
| Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) | Internal controls |
| Internal Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) | Process improvement |
| Tax accounting | Variance analysis |
How To Pick the Senior Financial Analyst Resume Template
As a senior financial analyst, you need to convey complex skills and accomplishments on your resume. Choosing a template that simplifies everything else can make resume creation easier and ensure employers can quickly scan your document and understand your qualifications.
Avoid templates with fancy design elements and elaborate fonts. Prioritize readability over making things pretty. Choose templates that work in a program you’re comfortable with, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word, to ensure you can create a streamlined, professional-looking document.
Senior Financial Analyst Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Example #1
- Example #2
- Example #3
Allison Rosenberg
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Bedford Avenue, New York, NY 12345
Profile
A Senior Financial Analyst with eight years of experience defining financial strategies and leading change management initiatives for enterprise organizations. A strong history of identifying opportunities to enhance business transparency and drive long-term revenue growth.
Professional Experience
Senior Financial Analyst, Excelsior Financial Partners, New York, NY
April 2016 – Present
- Define modeling and financial strategies for an enterprise financial firm, improve business transparency to enhance planning and execution, and lead strategic initiatives to support revenue growth from $50M to $300M over five years
- Manage a team of five financial analysts, oversee modeling, analysis, and reporting of complex financial data and trends, and conduct forecasting to define strategies
- Spearhead change management initiatives and transformation projects to overhaul financial reporting, auditing, and KPIs for the organization
Financial Analyst, Cadence Manufacturing, New York, NY
June 2013 – April 2016
- Coordinated with the financial analysis and planning team to perform comprehensive audits of financial statements, data, and operating budgets for a multi-million-dollar manufacturing company
- Delivered presentations to senior management on overhead costs, resource allocation, and annual projections to support long-term financial planning
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Accounting
Columbia University, New York, NY September 2009 – June 2013
Key Skills
- Financial Modeling
- Budget Development
- Change Management
- FP&A
- Financial Reporting
Certifications
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), 2014
Frequently Asked Questions: Senior Financial Analyst Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for senior financial analyst resumes?-
Action verbs help financial professionals quantify accomplishments to better impress potential employers. Using verbs such as improved or optimized, for example, sets a positive tone you can capitalize on with specific metrics.
Starting bullet points and sentences with action verbs also makes your resume more compelling, engaging, and scannable. Choose verbs that most align with your experience and the skills and knowledge the prospective employer is looking for. Some options to get you started include:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Advised | Analyzed |
| Audited | Built |
| Budgeted | Collaborated |
| Conducted | Developed |
| Drove | Enhanced |
| Evaluated | Forecasted |
| Implemented | Improved |
| Increased | Led |
| Managed | Maximized |
| Monitored | Oversaw |
| Performed | Prepared |
How do you align your resume with a job description?-
The job duties and expectations of a senior financial analyst can differ from employer to employer. Read the job listing for the position carefully, looking for keywords and skills that seem important to the employer. Then, incorporate those into your resume. For instance, if an organization is specifically looking for a candidate with a background in investment management, be sure to feature examples of you performing financial reporting for investment portfolios.
Financial analyst job opportunities are growing at a rate of around 8%, which is faster than the average for all types of jobs in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Aligning your resume with each position is a great way to stand out in this competitive market.
What is the best senior financial analyst resume format?-
The reverse chronological resume format is ideal for a senior financial analyst, in part because it creates a clear narrative about career progression — and your commitment to financial work. Prospective employers can easily see how you’ve grown into leadership or managerial positions, supporting confidence in your ability to take on a senior role.
Customize this format by integrating employer-specific keywords and skills into your most recent jobs to demonstrate your compatibility for the position at hand.
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A well-written, relevant cover letter improves your ability to make a first impression on hiring managers and stand out from the crowd of other applicants. It also provides more room to demonstrate your experience or point out qualifications that make you an ideal candidate for the position.
Start with some of our finance resume cover letter examples for inspiration, but remember to tailor the cover letter for each application.
