Best Finance CV Examples, UK Templates & Writing Guide

Add your contact details

Start your finance CV with your contact details. Include your full name, location (just your city is enough), phone number, and a professional email address. Avoid informal or outdated email handles.

For finance roles, adding a LinkedIn profile is highly recommended, as many hiring managers use it to verify career history, certifications (like ACCA or CFA progress), and professional endorsements. If you work in financial analysis, data-heavy roles, or fintech, you can optionally add a link to a portfolio, GitHub, or online project showcase to demonstrate dashboards, models, or analytical work.

Finance CV example – contact details

Write a strong finance personal statement

Your personal statement is the first opportunity to show finance employers that you understand the job description and are eager to contribute to the company.

Keep this section short (3–4 sentences) and focused on your strongest technical abilities, relevant experience, and the value you bring to financial decision-making. Mention key skills such as financial reporting, modelling, forecasting, or regulatory knowledge, and try to include at least one quantified achievement to demonstrate real impact.

Adapt your statement to the role. Whether it’s accounting, banking, investment analysis, FP&A, or corporate finance, targeting your finance CV personal statement always yields better results.

Finance CV example – personal statement

Add your work experience

Your work experience is the core of your finance CV, and it must show more than job duties. Finance employers want to see measurable impact, accuracy, and your ability to support financial decision-making. 

Use a reverse-chronological order and focus each bullet point on achievements: reduced costs, improved reporting accuracy, automated processes, supported audits, enhanced controls, strengthened forecasting, or delivered insights that influenced business outcomes.

Show numbers on your finance CV wherever possible. Metrics like percentages, savings, error reduction, or portfolio size help recruiters understand the scale and value of your contribution. Keep each bullet point impactful by starting it with a CV power word.

Finance CV example – work experience section

Present your financial education

Your CV education section is especially important in finance, where employers look for strong academic foundations in accounting, mathematics, economics, or business. List your qualifications in reverse-chronological order, including your degree, university, and graduation date.

If your degree included finance-relevant modules, such as Corporate Finance, Financial Accounting, Econometrics, or Data Analytics, highlight them to show technical depth. If you’re an early-career candidate, you can also include academic achievements, high module grades, scholarships, or notable projects on your CV for finance jobs.

Finance CV example – education section

Highlight your finance skills

A competitive finance CV needs a strong skills section that blends technical ability with essential people skills. Finance recruiters look for candidates who can analyse data, manage risk, ensure accuracy, and communicate clearly with both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

Include hard skills such as financial modelling, forecasting, auditing, ERP systems, and advanced Excel. For many roles, experience with tools such as SAP, Xero, Power BI, or SQL is a significant advantage. Then balance these with the soft skills finance teams rely on: attention to detail, analytical thinking, time management, and commercial awareness.

Tailor your skills to the specific finance role you’re applying for. A financial analyst, for example, may prioritise modelling and variance analysis, while an accountant may emphasise compliance, reconciliations, and VAT knowledge.

Improve your finance CV with bonus sections

Bonus sections help you stand out in a competitive finance job market. They’re especially valuable if you’re early in your career or applying for roles that require specialised knowledge. Choose 1–3 sections that genuinely add value and support your target role.

The most useful bonus sections for a finance CV include:

• Certifications: Professional certifications show commitment and credibility. Even listing “in progress” certifications (ACCA, CIMA, CFA, AAT) can instantly strengthen your profile and reassure employers about your technical knowledge.
• Courses & training: Short courses in data analysis, financial modelling, accounting software, or programming help demonstrate continuous learning, which is a valuable trait for many finance companies.
• Personal projects: Projects allow you to demonstrate practical finance experience, especially if you’re early in your career or transitioning from another field.
• Awards & accomplishments: Use this section for quantifiable wins that don’t fit neatly into your work experience or education.
• Volunteering experience: Finance-related volunteering, like handling accounts for student societies, adds credibility and demonstrates real responsibility.

Learn how to create an ATS-friendly CV for finance jobs

Choosing the right finance CV format ensures your experience is presented clearly and professionally. The two main CV formats are:

• Chronological CV: This is the preferred format for finance roles, from junior analysts to senior managers. It highlights your most recent experience first, making it easy for employers to see your progression, responsibilities, and achievements.
• Functional CV: This format focuses on skills rather than employment history. It’s useful if you’re new to finance, switching careers, or returning to work after a break.

And when it comes to formatting rules, follow this blueprint for a flawless finance CV:

• Use professional CV fonts: Stick to clean, business-appropriate fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Cambria, or Lato. Avoid decorative or stylised fonts, as they look unprofessional in finance roles.
• Follow clear font-size guidelines: Use 16–18 pt for your name, 12–14 pt for headings, and 10–11 pt for body text. This keeps your finance CV easy to read and well-structured.
• Keep margins and spacing consistent: Use 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins, or slightly smaller (down to 1.5 cm) if necessary. Maintain consistent spacing and rely on bullet points rather than long paragraphs to present achievements clearly.
• Stick to the correct CV length: Aim for a one-page CV if you’re a graduate or early-career professional, and two pages if you’re mid-career or senior. Finance CVs rarely need more than two pages.
• Save your CV in the right file format: Submit your finance CV as a PDF to preserve formatting and ensure ATS compatibility. Only use a Word document (.docx) if an employer specifically requests it.