Good financial CVs should be easy on the eye and easy to read, printed on good quality paper and no larger than two sheets of A4 long, with bullet points used to summarise important information.

The language used in a CV should be positive wherever possible and above all, honest. This is especially true of CVs for banking or CVs for finance generally. It should begin by listing Personal Details, such as name, address and contact information. If you wish you can add a short Personal Profile, of no more than a few sentences, containing a summary of your positive qualities alongside a potted employment history and your major achievements.

This should be followed by the Education section, and then Work History - the use of bullet points is strongly recommended here as they are very effective in listing educational establishments attended and the qualifications gained, along with their dates and grades. The list of schools and colleges should be written in reverse order of attendance. A similar format should be followed when detailing work history, although the jobs and responsibilities that correspond most closely to the position being applied for should receive the greatest emphasis.

A good CV is one that is frequently updated and customised for every new job application.

Many people like to add a brief “Hobbies and Interests” section to make their CV stand out and give employers a glimpse of the person behind the statistics. Like everything else on a CV, this should be short and relevant, however, banking CVs are not places for an exhaustive list of likes and dislikes. They are finance resumes and should reflect the needs of the sector. Avoid including items that are almost universal, such as “the cinema“ or “watching television.”

Finally, two or three contacts for references should be provided. At least one of these should be work-related.

Before sending your CV, check spelling and grammar and get a good friend to look at it to check for mistakes and provide honest feedback. You can also send it to us for our Free CV Review service.