Resume & Interview Tips for Finance

Finance is a competitive field. Whether you want to be an Investment Banker, Analyst, or Wealth Manager, you need to stand out.

Part 1: The Resume (CV)

Recruiters spend 6 seconds scanning a resume. If they don't see what they want, you are rejected.

The Golden Rules:

1. One Page Only: Unless you have 10+ years of experience.
2. Quantify Results:
   • Bad: "Managed sales."
   • Good: "Managed a portfolio of ₹50 Crores and grew it by 15% YoY."
3. Keywords: ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) scan for keywords. Use terms like "Financial Modeling," "Valuation," "Risk Analysis," "Python," "Excel."
4. Education First: For freshers, put Education at the top (CFA, CA, MBA).
5. No Typos: In finance, attention to detail is everything. One typo = Rejection.

Structure:

• Header: Name, Phone, Email, LinkedIn.
• Education: Degree, College, GPA (if good).
• Experience: Reverse chronological order.
• Skills: Technical (Excel, SQL) and Soft Skills.
• Projects: "Built a DCF model for Tata Motors."

Part 2: The Interview

Common Questions:

1. "Tell me about yourself."

• Don't tell your life story.
• Use the Present-Past-Future formula.
• "Currently, I am a [Role]. Previously, I worked at [Company] where I [Achievement]. I am looking to move into [New Role] because [Reason]."

2. "Why Finance?"

• Don't say "For money."
• Say "I love analyzing how businesses work and using data to make decisions."

3. Technical Questions:

• "Walk me through the 3 Financial Statements."
• "How does a ₹10 depreciation affect the statements?"
• "What is WACC?"

4. "What is your weakness?"

• Don't say "I work too hard." (Fake).
• Say a real weakness and how you are fixing it. "I used to struggle with public speaking, so I joined Toastmasters."

Tips for Success:

• Research the Company: Read their Annual Report. Mention a recent news item.
• Ask Questions: At the end, ask "What is the biggest challenge the team is facing right now?"
• Dress Code: Formal. Always.

7-Day Action Plan

Day 1: Convert your Resume to a clean, one-page format (Use "WSO Template" or similar).
Day 2: Add numbers (%, ₹) to every bullet point in your experience.
Day 3: Update your LinkedIn headline and "About" section.
Day 4: Prepare answers for "Tell me about yourself" and "Why this company?".
Day 5: Mock Interview with a friend. Record it. Watch your body language.
Day 6: Learn 3 technical concepts relevant to your role (e.g., DCF, P/E Ratio).
Day 7: Apply to 5 jobs with the new resume.

Quiz

💡 Final Wisdom: You are the product. The resume is the brochure. Make it irresistible.