Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
A CFO resume is different from many non-c-suite employment documents. It’s best to think of it as a marketing tool. Your resume needs to ‘sell’ you as an experienced financial leader that any company would want to bring on board.
So what makes a compelling chief financial officer resume? Two factors — concrete evidence of your past successes and visually-pleasing and functional layout (so that you could pack in more personal details). In this post, we’ll show you how to ace in both departments. Take a look at our quick tips, followed by a detailed chief financial officer resume example.
CFO Needs People Skills
Of course, your financial achievements should be your focal point, but don’t forget about your interpersonal skills. As a CFO, it’s your job to successfully lead a team of financial pros in addition to creating a solid fiscal vision for your employer. That requires excellent communication skills, the ability to mentor others, and strong stakeholder management skills. So don’t leave these off of your resume!
Customize Your Achievements to Each Position
You should include your biggest success in your resume, shouldn’t you? Maybe not. Mention a $50 million dollar success to a company that has a $200 million dollar and you’ll make a great impression. Mention the same dollar amounts with a company that has a $15 million dollar budget and you’ll seem overqualified. So rather than just throwing in all the numbers you have, frame your accomplishments in a way that convinces the hiring team that you will be a great fit.
Stay True to Your Personality and Style
One thing about being in the c-suite is that you almost certainly have developed a social media presence and a reputation within your industry. That plays in your favor. The last thing you want to do is dilute the professional persona you’ve created by trying to present something different in a resume or cover letter.
Your resume shouldn’t contradict what people in your industry already know about you. These documents should be consistent and complementary to the personal brand you’ve built for yourself. Include links or mentions of your recent conference talks, tout professional memberships, and otherwise show what kind of a leader you are.
Include an Executive Summary
The truth is that most people should leave the resume objective in the past. This is usually a waste of space on any resume and does nothing to further your goals. Instead, replace your career objective with a well-written objective summary. This will give you the opportunity to lead off your resume with a compelling statement about your experience, skills, and successes.
Resume Sample for a Chief Financial Officer (Word version)
Download resume example (.docx)
Chief Financial Officer Resume Example (text version)
Tyler Jackson
CFO of the Year, according to AccountDaily
Professional Summary
Experienced financial leader, currently running the books at a growing ecommerce startup that achieved $150 million in sales in just 18 months. The company is projected to continue that level of growth through the third quarter of next year. Now, I’d love to bring my proven track record of creating financial roadmaps for emerging companies to an exciting tech-forward venture.
Professional History
Ecommerce LLC
Chief Financial Officer
July 2018 — Present
Started as a financial planning consultant in April 2017, transitioning to the role of CFO in 2018. Accomplishments include:
- Worked with owner and CEO to create short and long-term financial goals.
- Created a company-wide budget, and monitored adherence to that.
- Helped close a Series A financial round of $10 million.
- Recruited, trained, and mentored 5 new financial team members.
- Performed P&L management for a company with an annual turnover of $35 million.
- Used a variety of financial tools to produce and analyze financial reports.
Varisoft Technologies
VP of Finance
August 2014 – April 2017
Vice president of finance, reporting directly to CFO of the North American Division.
Accomplishments include:
- Assisted CFO in creating a financial vision and relevant objectives.
- Presented findings to CFO and other executives.
- Worked to eliminate duplicate efforts between financial services and accounting teams.
- Performed P&L management for a company with an annual turnover of $100 million.
Chrissy and James Educational Toys
Financial Analyst/Internal Auditor
July 2010 – August 2014
Worked as a key member of the finance team.
Accomplishments include:
- Auditing various business areas for compliance with company and legal regulations.
- Produced and analyzed fiscal reports.
- Presented summaries of findings to team leaders.
Education
University of California, Davis 2013
Masters of Business Administration — Emphasis in Finance
Summa Cum Laude
President: Association of Business And Finance Students
University of South Carolina, Charleston 2010
Bachelor of Science — Finance
Minor — Information Technology Management
Magna Cum Laude
Memberships and Associations
Bay Area Association of Financial Professionals
Acting President 2018 — Present
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Associate Member — Technology And Software Businesses
Licensed Financial Advisor: State of California
Final Tip:Limit The Financial Jargon
Avoid any temptation to use financial jargon to boost your appeal. If your resume lands on the desk of someone who is savvy about corporate finance, they won’t be impressed. If it goes to the average HR staffer, they’ll be more confused than impressed. Instead, focus on presenting a resume that clearly outlines your qualifications in plain language.
