Are you looking to be considered for the best job opportunities in financial services? Then you need to stand out from the competition — and your CV is your first opportunity to create that lasting impression and open doors to progress your career.

As with most things, the way you should write a CV has changed over the years, leading to a lot of confusion around not only what to include, but how to best present yourself. The simple answer? Less is more. You don’t want key information to be lost amongst a sea of words.

Below we’ve put together our top tips for crafting a great CV, giving you the best chance to put your best foot forward as you hunt for your next Financial Adviser role.

Begin with a compelling but brief paragraph covering your professional summary with a personal touch. This is your opportunity to hook the reader immediately. Highlight your key experiences, skills, and achievements — use bullet points in an additional section if there are too many to include here.

Create a well-structured list of your relevant work experience, starting with your most recent employment first. Begin each role with a summary sentence, then provide a bullet-pointed snapshot of your core skills and abilities — emphasising financial skills, business acumen, and relationship-building.

List your educational background, certifications, and professional qualifications. Any diplomas relevant to wealth management should sit at the top — recruiters and hiring managers will be scanning for these first.

Some candidates like to close with a personal paragraph highlighting who they are outside of work. This is entirely optional — but it’s certainly worthwhile if you want to showcase extra-curricular activities that make you stand out. For example:

• Volunteering or serving as a Non-Executive for a non-profit or charitable organisation
• Personal goals worthy of note — running a marathon, climbing a mountain, etc.
• Board memberships, mentoring, or community leadership roles