College Graduate Finance Resume Example

Are you interested in a job in finance, but have limited work experience? In addition to the jobs you've held, you can include your academic achievements, internships, volunteering, college projects you've worked on, extracurricular activities, and the skills that help qualify you for the job for which you're applying.

Your relevant and related experiences and accomplishments will help you show the employer that you've got the skills they are looking for in qualified candidates.

Here are tips for what to include in an early-career finance resume, with examples, and a template to download to use as a starting point for your own resume.

What to Include in Your Resume

In addition to work experience, here's what you can highlight in your resume to show your qualifications to prospective employers.

• Highlight Academic Achievements: As a college student or graduate, your academic achievements are among your greatest assets. Highlight them by placing the “Education” section at the top of your resume. Include your GPA if it is strong, and list any achievements (such as academic awards). You might also include any finance-related coursework or projects you have completed.

• Emphasize Internships: If you have limited work experience, highlight any work experience gained from relevant internships. Internships are a great way for college students and graduates to acquire work experience and skills in a particular field and should be included on a resume under "Work History" or a related resume section.
• Include Related Activities: You can, and should, include any extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, and other non-work experience related to the job. For a finance job, this might include serving as a treasurer for an organization or participating in a club related to your finance major. You can include these in either a “Related Experience” section or in a separate “Activities” section of your resume. In the resume example below, this section is called “Activities/Service.”

Tips for Writing Your Resume

• Use Numbers When Possible: When explaining your responsibilities or achievements, use numbers when possible to demonstrate how you added value to a company or organization. It is particularly important for finance positions, in which you will be working with money on a regular basis. If you were treasurer of a club, you might mention the amount of money you managed. If you helped an organization save a percentage of money through some cost-cutting strategies, mention the percentage.

• Add a Skills List: Consider adding a “Skills” section to your resume, especially if the job requires a particular skill set. You can divide the “Skills” section into subsections, such as “Computer Skills,” “Language Skills,” etc.
• Proofread and Edit: Even though a finance job requires technical skills, you also need to be a clear writer and communicator who pays attention to details. Therefore, you want to make sure your resume is free of errors. Proofread your resume thoroughly for spelling and grammar errors. Consider asking a college career counselor to look at your resume as well.

College Graduate Finance Resume Example

This is an example of a resume for a finance position for a college graduate. Download the finance resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

More Resume and Cover Letter Examples

Here are more resume and cover letter examples for college students and grads that you can use as a starting point for your own correspondence:

• Entry-Level Resume Samples
• Resume Examples for College Students and Graduates
• Cover Letter Examples for Students and Graduates