Financial Advisor Resume Sample & Writing Guide (+ Skills)

You’re only as good as your last success, and financial advisor positions are cutthroat. If you want the job, your financial advisor resume has to work like John Templeton.

You can do it. With the right slant on your past advice and metrics, you’ll look like a one-person PNC.

In this guide:

• A financial advisor resume sample better than most.
• How to write a standout financial advisor resume.
• How to custom-fit your financial advisor job description to the position.
• Why you can’t just list financial advisor skills (and what to do instead).

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Do you need a financial resume or something else? See our guides:

• Accounting Assistant Resume Examples
• Accounts Payable Resume Examples
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• Bank Teller Resume Examples
• Bookkeeping Resume Examples
• Controller Resume Examples
• Data Analyst Resume Examples
• Financial Analyst Resume Examples
• Loan Officer Resume Examples
• Management Consultant Resume Examples
• Sales Executive Resume Example
• Tax Preparer Resume Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Any Job.

Remember that having a professional Finance Cover Letters can boost your chance to land the job!

Financial Advisor Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use

Financial Advisors provide expert financial guidance to individuals and businesses. They assess financial situations and develop personalized financial strategies for their clients. Financial advisors help clients make informed decisions on investments, retirement, and other financial matters. 

Here’s how to write a job-earning financial advisor resume:

1. Choose the Best Financial Advisor Resume Format

How to start your resume? Which financial advisor resume format really works? Easy choice.It’s the reverse-chronological resume format.

It gets your Carl-Icahn-level financial achievements at the fore. Use these resume formatting tips:

Financial Advisor Resume Format

• Craft a one–page resume for financial advisor jobs, with resume margins at 1 inch.
• Use a respected resume font like 11–14pt Bell MT or Arial.
• For ease-of-use, add white space.
• Make resume sections for Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.

Expert Hint: Come across well on every screen with a PDF resume. A financial advisor resume in PDF form works for human readers and ATS hiring software alike.

2. Write a Financial Advisor Resume Objective or Summary

This is vital: The brokerage won’t read your financial advisor resume with care. They’ll gloss over it in a stack of 100+ resumes.

So stop them in their tracks with a job objective or job summary worthy of JPMorgan Chase. Add:

1. An adjective (client-focused, energetic)
2. “financial advisor”
3. Years of experience (1+, 6+)
4. What you’ll do and where (provide expert guidance at Day & Astoria)
5. Best resume accomplishments(Raised performance of client accounts by 30%...)

See these financial advisor resume examples:

Financial Advisor Resume Summary—Example

Client-focused financial advisor with 5+ years of experience growing wealth for clients. Seeking to provide expert guidance at Day & Astoria. Raised performance of individual client accounts by 30% at Lovitz Abernathy through UAFRS accounting analysis.

Experienced financial advisor, skilled in investing and retirement planning. An expert at raising client account performance and using UAFRS data vs. GAAP analysis. Strong attention to detail and high-level communication and collaboration skills.

The second of those financial advisor resumes samples will tank. Why? It doesn’t list times you excelled at your stated finance skills.

But what if your financial advisor experience is underfunded? Don’t fret. See these entry-level resume samples for financial advisor jobs:

Entry-Level Financial Advisor Resume Objective

Energetic entry-level financial advisor with 1 year of experience as an accountant for a retailer with $1.2M in annual revenue. Eager to deliver massive ROI for clients at Lovitz Abernathy. At Klumfeld Outdoors, grew investment ROI 25% through recommendations and saved 20% of reports generation time through standardizing reports.

Entry-level financial advisor with skills in investment planning and reports generation. Haven’t had a full-time financial planner job yet, but I did hold a position as an accountant for a busy retailer. Adept at problem solving and teamwork.

Ready to beat the market? Do it like the first of our entry-level financial advisor resume examples. It packs in $1.2M, 25%, and 20% to show market savvy.

Expert Hint: Create your your financial advisor resume summary last. You’ll struggle to summarize a financial advisor resume that doesn’t exist yet.

3. Customize Your Financial Advisor Job Description and Skills

What skills work in a financial advisor resume? See these sample skills to put on a resume:

Financial Advisor Resume Skills

Hard Skills

• Financial Research
• Financial Planning
• Investment Analysis
• Retirement Planning
• Client Education
• Equity Analysis
• Valuation
• Generating Financial Reports
• Financial Plan Analysis
• MS Excel, Computer Skills
• Sales
• Account Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Customer Service
• Tax Planning
• Active Listening 
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Detail Oriented
• Dependability
• Collaboration

But shoving them all into a financial advisor resume is valueless.

Target your resume instead, with the perfect resume keywords from the financial advisor job ad.

These financial advisor resume samples show how: The job wants skills in account management, financial planning, and using UAFRS data.

Financial Advisor Job Description for a Resume [Sample]

Experience

Financial Advisor

Lovitz Abernathy

May 2015 - Jan 2020

• Served as financial advisor in high-end investment firm. Managed internal systems and client accounts and executed trades.
• Managed 120+ client accounts with $180M under management.
• Increased assets under management by $20M in 15 months.
• Wrote 110+ successful financial plans.
• Achieved client returns 10% higher than firm average.
• Raised client satisfaction by 33% in 10 months through increased one-on-one time and increased client returns.

Key Achievement:

• Raised account performance for individual investors by 30% through using UAFRS data to augment as-reported GAAP data.

• Tasked with increasing assets under management.
• Responsible for maintaining high level of client returns.
• In charge of raising client satisfaction through increased one-on-one time and increased client returns.

• Generated financial analyses of client accounts and suggested improvements.

The second of those financial resume examples says you were tasked, responsible, and in charge. But to what end? The second example shows success again and again. That’s hirable!

But is your financial advisor experience thin? You’re in luck. A resume with no experience resume can still get returns. See these entry-level financial advisor resumes examples. They’re for a job that needs investment advice, collaboration, and financial reports.

Entry-Level Financial Advisor Resume Job Description [Sample]

Accountant

Klumfeld Outdoors

May 2014 - Sept 2015

• Provided investment advice that grew investment ROI 25%.
• Developed standardized reports that allowed 20% time savings.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure proper reporting.

The first of those entry-level financial advisor resume samples puts up the right numbers. The second misses the boat.

Expert Hint: Research in the International Journal of Bank Marketing shows financial advisors who adjust their communication styles to fit clients get more repeat business. Have you grown your customer base or loyalty through word of mouth or good communication skills? Show it in your financial advisor resume.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

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4. Adjust Your Education Section to the Job

Putting education on a financial advisor resume? That’s easy. Give your school name and degree. Then, put rocket boosters on your resume education section with finance skills.

See this financial advisor resume sample:

Financial Advisor Resume Example—Education

Education

University of Kansas

2010–2014

• Excelled in financial planning classes.
• Vice President, Student Valuation Club. Grew membership 70%.

That adds financial planning, valuation, and leadership to your education.

Expert Hint: Did you graduate aeons ago? Write a shorter education section. If you’re fresh from the quad, make it longer and add relevant coursework and projects.

5. Add Extras to Your Financial Advisor Resume

Your financial advisor resume has to stand out like a Vanguard ETF. It won’t do that with just education and past jobs. But it will if you add extras like:

• Certifications (CFP, etc.)
• Associations (NAFPA, etc.)
• Volunteer positions
• Freelance work
• Publications and media appearances
• Talks and classes
• Honors and awards
• Languages
• Conferences
• Additional activities
• Fitness
• Hobbies and interests
• References

See these financial advisor resume examples:

Financial Advisor Resume—Other Sections

• Attending conferences
• Giving webinars

The first of those financial advisor resume samples wins because of the details.

Expert Hint: Write a cover letter for your financial advisor resume. Here's how to write a cover letter the right way. Be passionate about the job. Then show how your top few accomplishments will help you do it well.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Here’s how to write a financial advisor resume:

• Start with a financial advisor resume template. Preload it with your most memorable financial advisor moments.
• Add financial advisor skills like financial planning or research. Use metrics to show your depth.
• Write a financial advisor resume objective or summary as an overview of your resume.
• Include extras like a NAFPA membership or CFP certification.

Got questions on how to write good resumes for financial advisor jobs? Wondering how to put financial advisor on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!

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