Banking Resumes

Whether a candidate is interested in entry level teller positions, or executive level bank jobs, it is important for them to prepare an effective resume.  Although there is no universal resume format, there are a number of guidelines that candidates should consider when composing bank resumes.  Time and research is necessary for professional-looking and highly effective finance resumes.  A typical and easily legible chronological banking resume format is as follows:

Identification:

Jane A. Doe
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip Code
Telephone Number
Email Address

It is important for candidates to separate this information from the body of the resume.  By making it easy for employers to locate this information, it is easier to locate and contact the candidate.

Objective:
Often called a “Summary,” candidates are able to utilize this section in order to state what they desire in a career, or what major skills they have to offer prospective employers.  It is important that these sections remain brief (three to five sentences), and that candidates maintain a professional and positive tone throughout.  This is often the most difficult section to compose and is the basis for the remaining portions of a resume.

Education:
For professionals who have obtained a college or university diploma, it is not necessary to include high school information.  If no degree has yet been obtained, projected graduation date, or amount of time attended may be included.  For candidates not possessing a continued education, high school information may be included.  It is important to include courses of study, especially if they are directly related to the banking jobs candidates are applying for. 

Professional Experience:
This section gives candidates the ability to showcase their past experiences, accomplishments, and skills.  Work history should be listed in reverse chronological order (most recent listed first) by the company or employer the candidate worked for.  Candidates should not go back further than ten years when listing this information, and may benefit from using action verbs to describe daily tasks, rather than unoriginal words such as “duties” or “responsibilities.”

• To increase document organization, and highlight important skills, candidates may choose to use bullets or numbers.
• It is important to use only brief statements and avoid lengthy sentences.
• Full thoughts are more important than complete sentences.
• If bullets are used, candidates should utilize between three and seven bullets to maintain maximum effectiveness. 

Following these necessary sections of information, candidates may choose to include any number of other sections, while keeping the overall resume length within one to two pages.  Optional sections may include:

• Technical Skills
• Community Involvement
• Awards
• Foreign Language Fluency
• Certificates and Special Training
• Military History

While this example only covers the specifics of a chronological resume, professionals seeking to change from another industry into jobs in banking, professionals with large gaps in employment, or candidates with multiple jobs held for short amounts of time may benefit from the functional resume format.  The functional resume highlights candidates’ cumulative knowledge and skills rather than work history and specific titles.  For candidates absorbed in a banking job search, these resumes are often more difficult to compose, and more difficult to read.  While these formats require more time and research from candidates, they can be highly effective and yield excellent results if composed properly.  Whether interested in investment banking jobs, finance jobs, or even mortgage jobs, a well researched and properly composed resume is often the key in landing the right interview. 

For more information on composing a resume for the banking industry, please visit the following sites:

• Crane & Co.
• Morningside College
• Northwestern Alumni Association
• Resume.com
• Sarm Software

Let iHireBanking help get your resume out into the banking industry.  We offer resume fax and email blasting for banking candidates to companies in your area for a small fee, or have your cover letter sent out for no charge.