Whether you’re looking for your next role as a financial advisor or your first one, a carefully crafted resume is a must in a competitive job market. If you haven’t updated your resume in a while or you’re creating one for the first time, it’s helpful to know what to include that will grab a hiring manager’s attention. Reviewing a financial advisor resume example can give you some ideas for how to get started.
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Financial Advisor Jobs: What Do Hiring Managers Look For?
Every firm’s needs are different when hiring new advisors to join the team. Some companies may be looking for recent grads while others are hoping to find an established advisor to join the ranks. When reviewing resumes, hiring managers may approach them with two lists in mind: qualifications and skills that are “must haves” and ones that are “nice to haves.”
Some of the most important things hiring managers look for can include:
- Relevant work experience as a financial advisor or in a related capacity within the financial services industry
- Internship experience in a financial advisory setting when the opening is for an entry-level position that doesn’t necessarily require a previous professional work history
- Education that supports a career in financial services, such as a BS in Finance or a master’s degree in business administration
- Hard skills, such as risk management, investment analysis, financial planning or tax planning
- Soft skills, including communication skills, time management skills and problem-solving skills
- Certifications, professional designations and/or securities licenses
- Noteworthy achievements or accomplishments, with numbers to back them up if applicable
For positions that require some degree of experience, a hiring manager will likely be interested in your career trajectory and whether there are any significant employment gaps in your resume.
The best financial advisor resumes neatly encapsulate a candidate’s professional experience, education and skills in one to two pages. Ideally, your resume is easily scannable and incorporates bold headings and bullet points to draw attention to the most vital details you’d like a hiring manager to focus on.
What to Include in a Financial Advisor Resume
Certain pieces of information are essential to include when writing a resume for a financial advisor job. As you prepare to write your resume, it may help to start with a broad outline of the key sections to include. You can then fill in the details to flesh out each section.
A typical financial advisor resume should include:
- Your name and contact details
- Work experience
- Education
- Professional certifications
- Skills
Some resume experts recommend including a summary section or profile at the top of your resume, following your name and contact information. This section may be used to explain your objective in seeking a financial advisor role or highlight some of your most significant career achievements.
An objective summary is typically more appropriate if you’re seeking an entry-level position or have limited work experience. If you have several years of experience as an advisor already, you may choose to mention some notable accomplishments in the summary or include mention of those under your work experience.
Financial Advisor Resume Example
As you prepare to write your advisor resume, you may be wondering what type of wording to include or where all your information should go. Here are two resumes as examples highlighting various levels of experience that you might use as a template.
Example #1: Entry-level job seeker
Robert M. Smith
(222) 222-2222 | rmsmith@email.com |123 Main Street, Anywhere USA 12345
Summary
Detail-focused business graduate with one year of client-facing internship experience at a boutique advisory firm. Assisted senior advisors with investment research and financial plan updates for 30+ clients using financial planning software.
Experience
Financial planning intern, [Firm name], June 2022 – June 2023
- Helped prepare materials for client meetings, which included creating model portfolios
- Completed investment analysis and market research, with findings presented to senior advisors in weekly meetings
- Assisted clients with setting up access to their client portal as part of the onboarding process
- Aided in the preparation of marketing materials for two large-scale promotional campaigns
Highlights
- 97% positive feedback rating across all client interactions
- Received outstanding reviews from all supervisory staff
Assistant manager, R&R Retail, May 2020 – June 2022
- Monitored daily store operations, which included managing a staff of seven employees
- Reconciled daily receipts and prepared bank deposits
- Managed inventory, which involved communicating regularly with a network of vendors and creating audit reports for loss prevention
- Assisted customers with sales and handled customer complaints
Highlights
- Reduced inventory losses by 20% after developing a streamlined recordkeeping system
- Recognized by corporate as an employee of the month three times
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration, XYZ University, May 2023
Notable areas of study
- Accounting
- Business law
- Economics
- Marketing
Skills
- Data analysis
- Financial analysis
- Investment research
- Financial modeling
- Needs assessment
- Client relations
- Problem-solving
- Microsoft Office
Example #2: Experienced job seeker
Robert M. Smith
(222) 222-2222 | rmsmith@email.com |123 Main Street, Anywhere USA 12345
Summary
Goal-driven financial advisor with 7+ years of experience helping high-net-worth clients manage their portfolios.
Experience
Financial advisor, [Firm name] April 2019 – present
- Developed strategic financial plans for 100+ high net-worth clients with combined assets under management exceeding $150M
- Created standardized reports to analyze portfolio performance, which contributed to a 12% increase in client returns
- Oversaw key marketing campaigns that helped to grow the firm’s client base by 35%
- Developed a client loyalty program that increased satisfaction by 50% and boosted referrals by 62%
- Increased AUM by 40% over 24 months
Financial advisor, [Firm name] January 2017 – March 2019
- Spearheaded the development of financial planning seminars for existing and prospective clients to generate leads and increase retention rates
- Managed relationships with 60+ clients with an average AUM of $10 million+
- Analyzed portfolios to identify opportunities to increase tax efficiency while reducing fees
- Consistently achieved a 98% client satisfaction rating
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration, [University Name], May 2016
Notable areas of study
- Accounting
- Business law
- Economics
- Marketing
Skills
- Data analysis
- Financial analysis
- Investment research
- Financial modeling
- Needs assessment
- Client relations
- Problem-solving
- Microsoft Office
Certifications
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do financial advisor resumes need a cover letter?
Including a cover letter with your resume is a must if the job description requires it, which many firms do. When approaching how to write a cover letter to go with a financial advisor resume, the key is to add new information, not restate anything you’ve already mentioned. It’s also important to ensure that any cover letter you’re submitting is tailored to fit the job description, rather than taking a generic form.
What is a good objective for a financial advisor resume?
If you’re including an objective rather than a professional summary on your resume because you’re seeking an entry-level position, it should neatly and concisely explain why you’re applying for the role and what you bring to the table. A good objective highlights who you are, your background and what sets you apart from other candidates.
Is it worth hiring someone to write a financial advisor resume?
Finance resume writing services assist financial professionals with creating resumes that are designed to help them land a job. If you’ve been sending out your resume but getting very few follow-up requests for an interview it may be worth having someone review your resume to offer an objective critique. Hiring a professional resume writing service may be the next step if you’re struggling with implementing any suggestions you received from the critique.
Bottom Line
Finding a job in financial services can be exceptionally challenging as you may be up against dozens, if not hundreds, of other candidates. Creating a stand-out resume may take some practice and reviewing advisor resume examples can provide you with valuable inspiration.
Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business
- Increasing your presence online has never been more important as more clients turn to search tools to connect with advisors. Investing in digital ads is one strategy to attract new clients but it’s not the only option. SmartAsset AMP (Advisor Marketing Platform) is our holistic marketing service that financial advisors can use for client lead generation and automated marketing. Sign up for a free demo to explore how SmartAsset AMP can help you expand your practice’s marketing operation. Get started today.
- Even if you’re not actively searching for a new job, it doesn’t hurt to routinely update your resume. If you achieve an important milestone, for example, or obtain a new certification you’d want to make sure your resume reflects that. Building out your professional network is also a smart move, as someone in your network could be the key to unlocking your next job opportunity once you’re ready to move on to another employer.
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