Financial consultants are industry professionals who consult with individuals or businesses about their finances. This can include positions such as financial advisers, financial analysts and financial planners. Creating a financial consultant resume that communicates abilities, experience and education is an important step in securing a position and earning the highest possible salary.
A major component of a financial consultant resume is prior work experience. A job candidate should list formal employment experience for the past ten years, regardless of whether it was in the financial field. All relevant positions held before the ten-year mark should be listed as well. Any volunteer work within the financial industry also can be included.
The names and locations of employers, the dates worked at each position, and the nature of the work experience should be included on the resume. In general, stating specific, quantified accomplishments is more effective than listing functions. A potential employer will probably already know that a personal financial planner was responsible for consulting with individuals. Rather than stating that duty, identifying a unique achievement, such as helping a couple set up a financial plan that allowed them to set aside enough money to pay for a child's university education in a five-year period, likely will make a better impression.
Another important component of a financial consultant resume is education. Candidates should include both formal university degrees and additional training. This might include training on specific industry software or in important industry laws or processes. If any education or training resulted in a degree or certificate, this should be listed as well, along with the date that the certificate was issued; it also is appropriate to list the name of the issuing entity.
Creating a section in the financial consultant resume that highlights a candidate's most impressive skills also is recommended. This is often called an executive summary or a skills summary. It is a short section, usually presented as bullet points, that a potential employer or recruiter can scan quickly to gather information about key skills. For example, if a candidate worked as a personal financial consultant for one company for three years, another for one year and a third for five years, a statement in the executive summary might read, "Nine years experience in personal financial counseling."
Like any other resume, a financial consultant resume should contain contact information in a prominent position, such as at the top. This includes the candidate's name, mailing address, phone number and email address. In general, a candidate should use the phone number at which he or she is most likely to be reached and an email address that sounds professional.