Resume Writing for Banking and Finance Students

Are you a current or a recently graduated Banking or Finance student? If so, you are no doubt aware of the competition and demand for jobs within the finance industry.

Within the past 10 years, demand for investment banking jobs has increased while the supply for internships and graduate jobs has decreased.  The interview stage is more rigorous than ever before and getting a foot in the door is no easy task. Reports suggest that a hiring manager will spend no more than 10-20 seconds reading your resume before deciding to either read on or press delete.

It is an undisputed fact that if a hiring manager has two finance resumes sitting on the table, they are instinctively going to be drawn to the resume that is professionally presented and formatted in the correct way. No matter what the resume has to say, the first impression is already made. If both candidates share similar finance skills, education and experience, just take a guess at which resume the hiring manager is going to choose.

When you sit down to write your resume, remember one thing. Your resume is a marketing document. This document is all you have to prove to the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job.  Present a professional picture and make sure that you stand out above your competition.

3 Tips to making your resume stand out as a Banking / Finance Graduate

Include Banking/Finance Related Keywords:

With the competition for Banking and Finance related internships and graduate jobs in such demand and with large firms only selecting a handful of students out of a pool of potentially thousands, it is essential that your resume is strategically written to include keywords that will highlight your resume. A keyword-rich-resume will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is simply by reading the job position. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Highlighting Achievements with Quantitative Examples:

If you received high distinctions in all of your subjects highlighting your achievements is going to be easy. However, for the vast majority of students this is not the case. Don’t despair! The good news is that academic excellence is only one piece of the puzzle that hiring managers are looking for. If your grades were not “outstanding” don’t try and compete with other candidates whose grades would have been much higher than yours. Rather focus your resume on other areas you excelled in, such as community service, volunteer work, university projects, leadership etc.

Presentation and Format:

Your resume is the first impression a hiring manager will make about you.  A well-presented and structured resume that is written in a clean font will portray your resume in a professional manner and immediately give your resume application a higher ranking. Alternatively, a resume application that has spelling and grammar errors, different sized fonts, long sentences (as opposed to bullet points) and a lack of headings will not portray a positive image to the reader. Remember, that when applying for a business or finance position the hiring manager demands to see professionalism. A lack of professionalism may even lead to your resume being deleted without even being read. Don’t forget - no matter how great your skills and experience may be, once your resume is deleted, it will never be read again.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.redstarresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know: The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!