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Repositioning Your Financial Services Resumes
Despite the turmoil in the banking industry, these employees still possess coveted skills that can be leveraged to help other organizations move forward and meet their business objectives. Below are a few tips for crafting a compelling resume that is forward-thinking and accomplishment-driven.
In my recent conversations with financial services professionals, many struggle with how to position their performance in a positive light when they have just exited companies with a very volatile and public downsizing.
With the spotlight on companies at the epicenter of the financial crisis, some feel powerless and fear that recruiters and hiring managers will not be interested in their candidacy because they are attached to one of the big firms that have been acquired, gone bankrupt, or otherwise “fallen from grace.”
But these job seekers can craft powerful resumes, pitches, and interview strategies by looking inward rather than focusing solely on their link to a failed company.
Focus on individual accomplishments rather than the company name.
Challenge:
The job seeker in the financial services arena feels that they will immediately be linked to a failing industry or worse yet, blamed for its problems. They carry the name of their previous employer like a “Scarlet A” on their resume and want to distance themselves as much as possible from the company and its tarnished reputation.Solution:
Show your reader how you solved problems for the organization and how your solutions helped drive change. Offer examples of how you helped the company do something smarter, faster, or more efficiently and in turn how your actions helped make money, save money, or save time.Reposition achievements to showcase the most impressive ones early in the document.
Challenge:
The dilemma that some of my clients in financial services roles face is that their recent work history is not as impressive as in previous years due to financial instability in the company, downsizings, consolidations, lack of resources, and lack of funding for projects. With few major accomplishments over the past year, their resume fails to communicate a strong message of recent impact.Solution:
Instead of listing each position you held within a company followed by your achievements, abbreviate your chronology, using position titles and dates and follow the chronology with a list of key achievements during your tenure, listing them in the order you wish for them to be seen. Use category headings to further accentuate the type of impact you have had on the organization. This strategy allows you to better market the more powerful, but less recent achievements.Use charts and graphs to wow your reader and quickly communicate your ability to lead, affect change, and drive results.
Challenge:
It can be difficult to showcase achievements that culminated in several years of work without becoming excessively wordy on your document. A long drawn out chronology can sometimes be perceived negatively by the reader and look more like a laundry list of information rather than a dynamic presentation of your value.Solution:
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is especially true on resumes where space is at a premium and you only have a few precious seconds to make an impact on your reader. Job seekers can quickly prove their long-term value to an organization by charting their accomplishments over a particular time-period. Charts and graphs can help differentiate you from your competitors and make your document more manageable and memorable.Below is an excerpt from a resume for a banking professional that demonstrates how these strategies can be used to create a more compelling presentation despite a changing financial services landscape.
BANKING EXECUTIVE
Corporate and Middle Market Banking ▪ Multi-Site Operations ▪ Business Unit Start-Ups and Acquisitions
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CORE COMPETENCIES
Business Development Account Management Operations Management Business Insurance |
P&L Oversight Acquisition Due Diligence Deal Structuring Retirement Products |
Lines of Credit Commercial Loans Loan Workouts Recruiting/Mentoring |
CHRONOLOGY
| XYZ BANK, New York, NY | 1992 to Present | |
| Distinguished career in corporate and middle market banking, management, and business development. Led three middle market commercial businesses with nine offices and total staff of 80 in 6 Northeast locations. Opened and staffed four offices in Amherst, Stamford, Piscataway, and Brooklyn. | ||
| Executive Vice President, New York Group Senior Vice President, Metro New York Group Senior Vice President, NYC Commercial District Vice President, Brooklyn & Queens Commercial Assistant Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer Management Associate, Credit Training Program | 2007 to 2008 2000 to 2007 1998 to 2000 1996 to 1998 1994 to 1996 1992 to 1994 |
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ACHIEVEMENTS SNAPSHOT
| Year | Revenue Growth | Client Growth | Loan Commitments | Deposit Growth |
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2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 |
10% 15% 20% 30% 40% 50% |
10% 14% 17% 23% 28% 30% |
$1.6B $2.3B $3.6B $4.8B $5.2B $6.0B |
15% 22% 30% 33% 38% 42% |
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Business Development
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© Copyright Barbara Safani, 2009. Used with permission.
---------------------------------------------About This Author:
Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, has over twelve years of experience in career management, recruiting, executive coaching, and organizational development. Ms. Safani partners with both Fortune 100 companies and individuals to deliver targeted programs focusing on résumé development, job search strategies, networking, interviewing, salary negotiation skills, and online identity. Barbara is also the author of Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips for Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter Future.