Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Resume Examples (20+ Tips)

You’ve got broad industry knowledge and you see the big money picture like no one else. But employers don’t know that without proof. Use this sample CFO resume to give it to them.

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There you are, sitting in your executive chair and admiring the panoramic view out of your office window. It’s time to get down to work and find a way to make those millions of dollars grow into billions. You’re the CFO, after all.

Beep, beep, beep.

Oops. That was just a dream. And before it comes true, you need to apply for a CFO position. You need to squeeze your superpowers on a single page and craft a CFO resume that shows you’re the financial mastermind the world deserves.

This guide will show you:

A CFO resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a CFO resume that will land you more interviews.
Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a CFO resume.
How to describe your experience on a resume for a CFO to get any job you want.

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Trying to show CFO on a resume? See our guide: Career Change Resume

Is a CFO resume really what you need? See these other guides:

CFO Resume Sample

Raymond Jones, CFO

raymond.q.jones@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/raymondqjones

213-435-4031

Professional Summary

Highly effective CFO with 7+ years of experience, skilled in leadership and finance. Seeking to improve finances at Execulink Community Services. At CentuFund, helped raise revenue from $3 million to $22 million through carrying out 6 acquisitions and redesigning operational flows. Worked with cross-functional teams to improve accounts collections by 28%.

Work Experience

CFO

CentuFund

June 2012–May 2019

Increased company revenue from $3 million to $22 million per year through 6 targeted acquisitions and spearheading a lean management system across the business.
Worked closely with cross-functional teams to reverse a downward trend in past-due account collections with better automated outreach.
Researched and secured a $2M line of credit. Used resulting free cash flows to generate an additional $10M per year in revenue.
Raised sales by 160% by analyzing existing programs and redesigning marketing and advertising spending plans.

Assistant CFO

20L Partners

Jan 2010–May 2012

Assisted in a project to raise revenues by $1M per year. Analyzed product offerings and refocused the business on higher-profit business areas.
Increased profit margin from 10% to 23% in 15 months by shifting away from commodities and into new product development.

Education

2005–2009 Haas School of Business

Masters in Business Administration

Pursued a passion for corporate accounting classes.
Created a small business student project with $90,000 in annual revenue.

Skills

Hard skills: Developing financial strategies, creating budgets, strategy planning
Soft skills: Interpersonal skills, leadership, communication, problem solving

Activities

Volunteer CFO, Heppleblue Montessori School. Increased funding by 35%.

Assistant Scoutmaster, BSA Troop 647.

Here’s how to write a CFO resume that gets jobs:

1. Select the Best CFO Resume Format

CFOs are executive-level officials who manage the financial side of a corporation or other organization. They track a company’s cash flow and handle financial planning and analysis. A CFO resume must show strong leadership skills and skills in creating sound fiscal strategies.

You only get one shot to make a first impression.

Make your CFO resume as crisp as a freshly-tailored Kiton.

To get there, follow these formatting tips:

Use the ideal resume format for CFOs. The chronological format of a resume should go last job first, first job last.
In the header of your resume, list your name in large font, title (CFO), and address information (including phone, LinkedIn, and email.)
A good font for resumes is Cambria in 10 or 12 point size. Just like in a financial report, leave a little white space for tired eyes.
Send a professional resume file in PDF. Don’t send an MS Word chief financial officer resume. Word resumes can lose value in transit.

Pro Tip: Do PDFs conflict with ATS hiring software? Not anymore. But double-check the job description to see if it forbids them.

2. Make a CFO Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Six seconds.

That’s how long most hiring teams look at each CFO resume.

Yours should stand out like Jack Welch in a McDonald’s.

Do that with a resume summary. That’s the top-line info in your resume, restated.

Here’s the key: fund it with your most impressive CFO achievements.

Pro Tip: Your summary is just the elevator pitch—not the full presentation. Write it after you’ve done due diligence on the rest of your resume for CFO jobs.

3. Tailor Your Resume to the CFO Job Description

The board doesn’t want to hire the wrong candidate.

They’ll pay close attention to which resume fits the CFO job best.

Make your CFO resume do that.

Show the right side of your work experience.

With each position, list your work title and name of company.
Stack the deck with professional achievements. But—
List only the ones that prove the skills this hiring team is after.
Add measures like “28%” so they know you’re no piker.

Pro Tip: A good resume for CFO positions uses action verbs to keep the board from losing focus.

4. Redesign Your CFO Resume Education Section

Important:

A resume education section should show more than a degree.

It should add more evidence of CFO skills.

So, break it into a bullet list of educational accomplishments.

List honors, clubs, passion projects, or publications.

Pro Tip: If your schooling was a long time ago, two bullet points is plenty. If you graduated recently, list more.

5. Show CFO Skills in Your Resume

Use this CFO resume skills list.

CFO Resume Skills

Hard Skills:

Financial planning
Finance
Budgeting
Corporate strategy
Generating reports
Investment management
Accounting
Business skills
GAAP
SEC
Taxes
Cash management
Management information systems
Investor relations

Soft Skills:

But—

Home in on the CFO skills the hiring team mentions in the job ad. Focus on both your hard and soft skills.

Pro Tip: Show a mix of soft skills and technical skills in a resume for CFO jobs. The board wants to know you’re a well-rounded applicant.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add Other Sections to Your CFO Resume

Maybe you’ve got the work experience.

But are you C-level material?

Show you are with added resume sections in your CFO resume.

Choose from:

Activities
Projects
Associations
Commendations
Fitness pastimes
Awards & honors
Conventions
Publications
Resume pro bono work
Hobbies
Resume language skills

List certifications on a resume in a separate section below education.

7. Send a Cover Letter With Your CFO Resume

Should you write a cover letter for your CFO resume?

Without question.

Many hiring teams don’t read them, but they’re necessary for C-suite jobs.

But you need to wow them from the start.

The right format for a cover letter is the 3-paragraph format.
Start your cover letter opening paragraph with something you’ve done that will knock them out of their Magnanni Marcos.
In your middle paragraph, cite achievements that lock into their fondest hopes.
Make an offer in your cover letter closing paragraph. “I’d be glad to show you how I raised revenue to $26 million” is a nice touch.
How long are cover letters? The sweet spot is half a page.

Pro Tip: When following up on a job application, keep it positive and short. Give them three days, then a week before you check back in.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s how to write a resume for CFO positions.

Be honest: will your CFO resume wow them or leave them wanting? What’s the hardest part for you about writing a resume for CFO positions? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!

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