CV example
Financial analyst CV example
Financial analysts are hired to make the numbers useful for decisions. This example shows an analyst who pairs every model and report with the decision it supported and the money involved.
Below you'll find a full example CV (also called a résumé), summaries for different experience levels, the skills and keywords employers search for, stronger bullet points, and the interview questions to prepare for.
Financial analyst CV summary examples
Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. Two or three sentences: who you are, your strongest evidence, and what you want next. Here is the example CV's summary, plus versions for other levels.
Example CV
Financial analyst with 4 years in FP&A for consumer and logistics companies. I build forecasts and models that leaders trust, and I explain what the numbers mean for the next decision.
Graduate
Finance graduate with an internship in corporate finance, where I built a three-statement model used in a pricing review. Advanced Excel, CFA Level I passed.
Senior or FP&A manager
FP&A manager with 9 years partnering with commercial leaders in tech and retail. Lead a team of 4 analysts and own planning for a $1.2B business.
Skills to put on a financial analyst CV
Hard skills
- Financial modelling (three-statement, scenario, DCF)
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Variance and performance analysis
- Advanced Excel (lookups, pivots, Power Query)
- BI tools (Power BI, Tableau)
- ERP and planning systems (SAP, Oracle, Anaplan)
- Presenting financial information
Soft skills
- Business partnering
- Commercial thinking
- Clear storytelling with numbers
- Attention to detail
Show soft skills through your bullet points rather than listing them on the CV itself.
Keywords recruiters and ATS look for
Many employers screen CVs with an applicant tracking system (ATS) that matches words from the job ad. These come up often in financial analyst postings. Use the ones that are true for you, in the same wording as the job you're applying for. To compare your CV with a specific job ad, use the free CV keyword checker, or have Litjob tailor your CV to the job description for you.
- financial analyst
- FP&A
- financial modelling
- forecasting
- budgeting
- variance analysis
- Excel
- financial reporting
- business partnering
- KPIs
- valuation
- Power BI
For live figures, see the skills most requested in Finance and accounting job ads, updated weekly from thousands of postings.
Bullet points: before and after
Strong bullet points say what you did, how big it was and what changed. Compare:
WeakPrepared financial reports.
StrongerPrepared the monthly board pack, highlighting the 3 variances that most affected profit.
WeakBuilt financial models.
StrongerBuilt a pricing model that supported a 4% price rise with no measurable drop in volume.
WeakHelped with the budget.
StrongerCoordinated a $60M annual budget across 12 departments, delivered 2 weeks ahead of deadline.
WeakAnalysed costs.
StrongerFound $500,000 in avoidable freight costs through a carrier-level cost analysis.
Only use numbers you can explain in an interview. An honest estimate (“about 30%”) is better than a made-up exact figure.
Tips for writing a financial analyst CV
Show the decision behind each model
Models are tools. Say what they were used to decide and how big the decision was.
Quantify the business size
Revenue, budget or portfolio size shows the scale you are used to working with.
List qualifications and progress
CFA, ACCA, CIMA or CPA progress helps you pass filters. Say which level you have passed or are sitting.
Be specific about Excel
Every analyst lists Excel. Mention modelling, Power Query or automation to stand out.
Common financial analyst interview questions
Your CV gets you the interview, and interviewers will ask about what's on it. Prepare for these:
- Walk me through the three financial statements and how they link.
- Practise explaining how net income, cash and the balance sheet connect, simply.
- How would you build a forecast for a new product?
- Cover drivers (volume, price, costs), assumptions, scenarios and how you would test them.
- Tell me about a time your analysis changed a decision.
- Use a real example with the amount of money involved.
- Expect an Excel or modelling test.
- Practise building a small model quickly and clearly, with assumptions on a separate tab.