How to Write a Financial Advisor Resume (With Example)

Updated 1 April 2023

A financial advisor is a professional who provides expert advice to clients on how to manage their financial assets. They help companies and individuals to set and meet financial goals by providing strategies to reduce costs, eliminate debt and increase wealth. Learning how to write a resume for a financial advisor position can help you showcase your qualifications and may improve your chances of getting a job. In this article, we provide steps for how to write a financial advisor resume and outline a resume template and an example to help you make your own.

How to write a financial advisor resume

The following steps can help guide you when writing a financial advisor resume:

1. Review the job description

Employers usually have varying requirements for financial advisor roles. Review each job description to understand the requirements and tailor your resume to them. For example, one employer may require a prospective financial advisor to have a master's degree, while another may require them to hold at least a bachelor's degree.

Some employers use applicant tracking systems, which are tools that compare applicant resumes against the company's requirements. Identify keywords in the job description and use them on your resume to pass these systems. Addressing the employer's requirements on a resume also demonstrates your genuine interest and attention to detail.

2. Choose your resume format

A good resume format helps communicate your qualifications effectively. Consider using a reverse chronological resume layout, which highlights your qualifications, starting with the most recent one. For example, in the education section, a reverse chronological resume starts with your most recently achieved degree, such as a bachelor's or master's degree.

Use sufficient spacing and readable fonts with an ideal font size, such as 12, on your resume to improve its readability. Keep the resume to one or two pages in length and use a PDF file format when sending your resume to employers.

3. Add your contact information

At the top of your resume, add your name and professional title. You can make it a header by increasing the font size and bolding the text. Add your contact details under your name and professional title, including your phone number, email address and location.

4. Write a professional summary

Write a professional summary to describe your relevant skills, experience, education or certifications and achievements for a financial advisor role. The ideal length for this summary is two to three sentences. Consider writing other sections first to match your resume details with the summary.

If you're an entry-level professional with minimal experience, focus your professional summary on your skills, education and certifications. Mention one or two specific achievements or use numbers to describe them to make the summary more effective.

5. Outline your work experience

The experience section describes your previous jobs that have relevance to the role you're applying to. It highlights the job titles, duration, location and responsibilities. Write your experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your last position. Use five bullet points to highlight the responsibilities of your last or current job and three bullet points for the previously held jobs.

Include a mix of duties and achievements when writing your responsibilities. Consider using statistics, such as percentages, dollars, hours or number of clients, to emphasise your abilities and achievements. Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities as a financial advisor, such as planned or budgeted. Write the responsibilities in the present tense if you're describing your current job. Some common responsibilities of a financial advisor include:

providing financial advice to clients
buying or selling assets on behalf of clients for a commission, fee or both
advising and making investment recommendations
providing wealth and financial management services
conducting market research and analysis
recruiting clients
analysing client's goals and needs

6. Highlight your relevant skills

The skills section highlights both hard and soft skills relevant to a financial advisor role. Hard skills are those specific to a financial advisor's duties. Some examples of hard skills include analysing equities or financial plans, making sales, educating clients, financial reporting or planning, researching, investing, preparing spreadsheets and giving presentations.

Some soft skills for a financial advisor role include organisation, confidence, honesty, accountability, interpersonal skills, verbal and written communication, attention to detail and active listening skills. Research the specific skills that the employer lists in the job description and add them to your resume to improve your chances of getting an interview. Add relevant and transferable skills from your professional experience if you're changing careers.

7. Include your educational background

Your educational background showcases your knowledge relevant to a financial advisor's job. Write the degree and major, name of the university or institution and graduation date. Add relevant certifications, starting with the certification name, host organisation and the completion year or expiry date. Add your education entries in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent qualification.

8. Proofread your resume

Proofread your resume after you finish writing to ensure it's free from errors. A flawless resume demonstrates your attention to detail to a hiring manager. Consider getting a second opinion from a friend, colleague, family member, mentor or professional resume writer to improve your resume.

Resume template for a financial advisor role

The following is a template to help guide you when writing a resume for a financial advisor position:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience
[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantifiable results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantifiable results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Education
[Degree and major], [Name of school or university]

Optional
[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Example of a financial advisor's resume

The following is an example of a resume for a financial advisor role to help guide you:

Olivia Wong, MBA in Finance
+65 9772 2831 | oliviawong@email.com | Singapore

Professional Summary
Assertive, organised and experienced financial advisor with over five years of experience advising clients and helping them grow their wealth. Client-focused professional who has helped Ming & Cheng Financial Partners to gain over $5,000,000 in new client business and manage over 70 clients. An exceptional leader ready to contribute to strategy, collaboration and teamwork operations at Gold Global Financial Partners.

Experience
Financial Advisor | June 2018–Current
Ming & Cheng Financial Partners | Singapore

assess financial status and evaluate goals of over 70 clients to make decisions, such as investment strategy insurance and debt management
analyse risks and benefits of investment opportunities on behalf of clients and provide documentation addressing opportunity details, questions, concerns and recommendations
pitch the company's financial services to clients, generating new client business worth $5,000,000 with $2,000,000 in investments
collect financial data, develop comprehensive financial plans and implement financial goal analysis tools to evaluate performance
manage and train supporting staff, including other financial advisors and client associates

Assistant Financial Advisor | July 2016–June 2018
Money Health Associates | Singapore

assisted financial advisor with financial planning for prospective and existing clients
developed relationships with clients and maintained a top client satisfaction rate of 90%
researched investment opportunities that meet clients' needs and updated the financial advisor on research findings in weekly meetings

Education
Master of Business Administration in finance, Simei University
Bachelor of Science in finance, Serangoon University

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

How to Write a Financial Advisor Resume (With Example)