If money and the inner workings of financial markets interest you, then you are the type of person who thinks in numbers—and a job in finance could be ideal for you. For entry-level individuals and fresh graduates, the financial business offers a very promising career path. It has a lot of work options and good starting pay.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth of employment for financial analysts from 2020 to 2030 is 6%. About 41,000 job openings are expected each year in this field. Thus, for one to successfully enter the lucrative path of entry-level finance jobs, you need to have an impressive job search tool.
What is an Entry-Level Financial Analyst?
Entry-level financial analysts play a critical role in businesses, since they take charge of sorting out budget and income statement projections into reports. In this profession, you evaluate data for a firm and offer recommendations on how to build on the company’s health.
Furthermore, financial analysts use past and present data to assist the organization in developing good financial goals and identifying solutions to any finance concerns that might arise. They’d have to make presentations, generate reports and build financial models.
What are the Duties of an Entry-Level Financial Analyst?
Each financial analyst’s job will have varied tasks based on their skills level and where they work. Below are some common responsibilities that an entry-level financial analyst may encounter:
- Recommend individual investments as well as portfolios of assets
- Asses the current and historical financial data of the firm
- Examine a company’s financial statements to determine its value
- Collaborate with the accounting staff to ensure accurate financial reporting
- Evaluate the management team’s strength
- Make written reports
- Research and assess previous and present economic and business trends
- Prepare charts and graphs and create reports to discuss investment or risk information with management
- Analyze and interpret data concerning business trends that may have an impact on a company’s investments decisions
- Monitor the company’s current investments as well as the current economic condition
- Create projections and models based on a solid financial analysis
Moreover, an entry-level financial analyst’s duties aren’t limited to locating qualified individuals. Hence, it is vital that you have the necessary soft and hard skills to take on the position.
How Do You Become an Entry-Level Financial Analyst?
To become an entry-level financial analyst, you must have the necessary qualifications in addition to your skills. Consider the following requirements for becoming an effective entry-level financial analyst:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics and other related fields
- 0-3+ years of experience in company finance or other relevant field
- Good business acumen
- Adept in financial modeling techniques
- Strong analytical and data collection abilities
- Skilled with Microsoft Excel formulas and functions
- Expertise with data query/data management technologies (Access, SQL, BusinessObjects)
What to Include on Your Entry-Level Finance Resume
If you want to thrive in this field, you need to begin with your job search tool. Give your entry-level finance resume a needed boost to stand out. Continue reading to find out what information you should include on your resume.
Contact Information
In the header of your entry-level finance resume, begin by listing your complete information including your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. You may also provide your LinkedIn profile URL in this section, if you have one. In addition, putting your certification next to your name will help you leave a positive impression on hiring managers.
Specific Target Job
It’s also known as a “career tag” since it informs hiring managers and recruiters about the sort of work you are applying for.
Qualifications Profile / Summary of Qualifications
Writing a resume summary boosts your chances of landing an interview. Describe your relevant experience, abilities, and accomplishments in this section. Explain your qualifications for the position in 3 to 5 statements and convince the recruiting manager to read your entire resume.
Expert Tip:
When writing your summary, avoid using resume objective-type statements. Instead, use compelling titles and headlines to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
Entry-level Financial Analyst Skills
Include relevant entry-level finance skills when adding professional skills to your entry-level finance resume. Highlight the skills that they are searching for in the job requirements part of the post.
Work Experience
This is the section where you list your previous jobs. Indicate your duties, contributions, and consequent achievements. Demonstrate how well you handled previous obligations. Give them actual successes in the form of numbers or percentages rather than vague statements.
Education
Start by providing your most recent and highest degree, followed by a list of all previous degrees in reverse chronological order. Make a note of your degree, the name of your institution, the location, and the dates that apply to you. You may also include the courses you’ve taken and awards/honors that are related to your entry-level financial analyst position.
Training, Certifications, and Licenses
One strategy to impress hiring managers is to list your training experience, certifications, and licenses on your entry-level financial analyst resume. It demonstrates that you are a valuable and relevant hire. Provide your qualifications and licenses in reverse chronological order, like you did in the education section. You can skip the training experience until the end part.
Optional and Possible Information to Include on Your Entry-Level Financial Analyst Resume
Your professional affiliations, relevant activities, financial skills, and projects handled can all benefit your resume. Hence, if they are available, include them in your entry-level finance resume to provide hiring managers with more information that may entice them to hire you.
How to Write Your Entry-Level Finance Resume
Once you’ve determined what information you need to put on your entry-level finance resume, you’re now ready to compose your job search document. To assist you further, we have included some resume writing tips.
1. Apply a simple yet attractive design and layout.
Too many designs and fancy font styles on your entry-level finance resume may lessen your chances of getting included in the pile of accepted applications. A simple yet appealing design and structure, as well as an easy-to-read resume, will suffice to obtain a job interview.
2. Choose the best resume format.
While creating your resume, select the ideal resume format for your experience, qualifications, skills, and expertise. If you already have a lot of experience in the sector, go with the chronological format. Other formats, on the other hand, may be employed to further illustrate your value to their organization.
3. Highlight your entry-level financial analyst skills.
To surpass the other candidates, demonstrate that you are the best applicant by highlighting outstanding entry-level financial analyst skills and abilities in your resume. Your skills in financial analysis, accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, communication, and research should be highlighted.
4. Include resume keywords.
Using resume keywords, employers can quickly determine if you are a suitable fit for the position. In fact, these keywords should appear throughout your entry-level finance resume, not only in the skills section. Furthermore, adopting these resume keywords can assist you in passing applicant tracking systems. Hence, look for methods to incorporate key terms throughout your resume.
Expert Tip:
Resume keywords are job-related or industry-specific words and phrases outlined in job postings. Make sure that your entry-level financial analyst resume matches the job ad.
5. Use concrete data and examples.
When presenting your job descriptions and accomplishments, it is preferable to use figures and examples rather than simply stating facts. These aspects will help you stand out from the crowd of job applicants.
6. Proofread, proofread, and proofread.
When you’ve completed your entry-level finance resume, double-check it and review it several times. This will aid you in examining, recognizing, and correcting errors such as grammar and punctuation. Furthermore, keeping your resume error-free may increase your chances of getting a job interview.
Expert Tip:
After proofreading your document, you can use a free online resume review to check if your resume has what it takes to impress hiring managers.
Entry-Level Finance Resume Example
Below is an example of an entry-level finance resume to offer you a concept of how an effective resume should look.
Note: For more ideas, browse through our resume examples.
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