The Single Best Strategy for Improving Your Financial Advisor Resume

The Single Best Strategy

for Improving Your Financial Advisor Resume

The financial advising industry is a competitive one, and the top firms which offer the best payouts, benefits, and working environments have no shortage of qualified advisors looking to be employed there.

If you want to be considered for a position with a top firm, your resume has to stand out among the thousands they receive on a daily basis.

The question is this: What is the best way to boost the resume of a financial advisor so that it doesn't get lost in the stack and ultimately filed in the shredder?

There are several achievements frequently highlighted by financial advisors on their resumes.

Some prominently point out the total amount of money, in millions that they have managed.

Others point to lofty degrees and or high GPAs from top universities and business schools.

However, the single best way to improve the resume of a financial advisor is to obtain specializations by studying for and passing state certification exams.

Certain exams, such as the Series 7 and the Series 63, have to be passed before one can practice in any capacity as a financial advisor.

Therefore, having these on your resume is usually a necessity simply to be brought in for an interview, not something that makes you stand out above the crowd.

With that said, there are numerous specialty exams you can take above and beyond the necessities which will give you certifications that look great on your resume.

The reason obtaining certifications is better for your resume than simply boasting about how much money you've managed or how many as you made in college is that certifications are exact, universally known in the business, and easily verifiable through state databases.

Unlike employment history, total money managed, or job duties, certifications cannot be "fluffed" or embellished on a resume.

When a finance industry recruiter or prospective employer sees your certifications, he or she can be confident that they are legit.

There are a host of special certifications that you can pursue. Here are just a few options.

Certified Financial Planner (CFP): This is a great option if you're looking for a career in wealth management with private individuals.

Having this certification on your resume will tell employers or a finance industry recruiter that you have dedicated yourself to learning about the field of financial planning and that you are serious about your career.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA): Advisors who wish to work in institutional investing should check out this designation.

A CFA on your resume conveys a mastery of investment analysis and can help you get a foot in the door not just at financial planning firms but at large investment banks as well.

Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU): If you want the option of taking your skills to the insurance industry, consider obtaining a certification as a chartered life underwriter.

Most of these exams will require some studying, but if you were able to make it through the Series 7 unscathed, you should be able to pass any of them without much problem.

The effort that you put into doing so will more than pay off when employers have a great reason to give you a call instead of one of the thousands of other advisors seeking the same position.

If you are looking for a job in the finance industry, give the recruiters at Willis Consulting, Inc. a call.

They not only have the 411 on the best jobs out there, they will also give you advice and guidance so you sail through your interview.

www.willis-consulting.com

Willis Consulting, Inc.

Los Angeles Office: Corporate Headquarters719 Yarmouth Road, Suite 203Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274310-373-7400 PST

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