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Finance Director CV Tips | Templates and Examples

Published on: 7 Dec 2018

Finance Director CV Tips

The most successful CVs for Finance Director jobs are detailed but succinct documents that are tailored to the vacancy at hand. Your CV must walk prospective employers through your work and education history, highlighting the relevant skills, experience and qualifications you possess that will enable you to oversee their business’ financial decisions. In this article we provide you with a range of Finance Director CV examples, tips and templates to ensure your CV is as successful as possible.

While there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to writing your Finance Director CV, there is a general layout that should be followed in order to provide recruiters with the information they need in a clear and concise manner.

  • Personal Details

    At the top of the first page of your CV, write your full name, home address, email address and phone number. Ensure your contact details are up-to-date and frequently check your email junk folder to avoid missing out on Finance Director job opportunities. Consider also adding the URL of your LinkedIn profile and an alternate telephone number.

  • Personal Statement / Overview / Summary

    Write a short paragraph highlighting some of your key positions, skills and achievements. Give your resume direction and show recruiters your objectives by outlining the type of Finance Director role you look to move into. Get yourself off to a strong start by perfecting your Personal Statement section to address your possession of the skills, experience and qualifications required to succeed in the role for which you are applying.

    Sample format:

    Fully qualified ACCA Accountant and 1st class economics degree holder with training from a leading firm and over 10 years of experience gained within the finance teams of two global multi-million-pound commercial businesses. Technology savvy with a proven track record of improving internal financial processes and systems. People management and team leadership skills gained through completion of an MBA and refined through 3 years as a Finance Director.

  • Employment History

    Beginning with your current or most recent role, work in reverse chronology through your employment history including employer names, positions held, and time spent in each role. While it can be easy to suppose that your previous titles and companies will speak for themselves at the level of Finance Director, you should be wary of making assumptions. Equally, it can be easy to list all your responsibilities in a role without any context; it is vital to strike a balance between these two extremes.

    Using facts and figures, briefly outline the size and value of the companies you have worked for, before listing not only your responsibilities but your achievements in each role. How did you improve the business? How did you increase profit margins? By how much? How did you make the financial systems more robust?

  • Professional Qualifications and Education

    This section of your Finance Director CV should be dedicated to your professional qualifications and educational achievements to date. Include the finer details of your accounting qualification and undergraduate degree, but anything prior to university – GCSEs, A-levels etc. – can be condensed (see example below). Remember to mention any other professional qualifications you have obtained or training you have undertaken.

    Sample format:

    MBA, London Business School, 2012

    Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), 2007

    First Class Honours in Economics, University of Manchester, 2002-2005

    Maths (A), History (A) and Physics (B) A-levels, South Downs College, 2000-2002

    12 GCSEs grades A*-C, The Petersfield School, 1995-2000

  • Finance Director CV Example Statements

     • Responsible for overseeing and managing all major financial functions in the business.
     • Managing, motivating and encouraging the personal and professional development of a finance team of…
     • Used financial modelling and forecasting skills in order to make strategic business recommendations such as…
     • Identified weaknesses in financial systems and processes before leading the design and implementation of improvements that increased profitability by…
     • Keeping up to date with the latest developments in accounting technology and applications to ensure…
     • Established policies, procedures and best practices within the finance team to increase…

  • Final Tips

    Your Finance Director CV is likely your first impression on recruiters or prospective employers and, considering that recruiters spend an average of just 30 seconds looking at each CV, yours needs to stand out from the rest. Proofread your CV to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors, use a clean, professional font and make sure the information you include is accurate and succinct – a CV should not usually exceed two sides of A4. Why not get a free CV review from the recruitment professionals at TopCV?

    For best results, you should be tailoring your CV to each unique position you apply for, addressing the role-specific responsibilities and requirements and demonstrating explicitly why you are the right candidate for the job. Make use of the example templates and tips to get everything up to scratch, upload your CV, and then search and apply for the latest Finance Director jobs on GAAPweb today.