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Finance executive skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Raymond Peters,

Kim Tan Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical finance executive skills. We ranked the top skills for finance executives based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.4% of finance executive resumes contained financial statements as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a finance executive needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 finance executive skills for your resume and career

1. Financial Statements

A financial statement is a report of an individual or a company that includes all the information about the declared assets, the use of money, income, and also the contribution of shareholders over a certain period.

Here's how finance executives use financial statements:

Assisted external auditors, providing financial statements and schedules, managing internal dissemination and follow-up of audit results.
Collected monthly and quarterly financial statements and other information from all existing portfolio companies.

2. Financial Services

Financial services are economic services that are offered by the finance sector, which includes banks, financial institutes credit-card agencies, insurance companies, accountancy firms, and others that handles assets. Organizations in the financial services sector are concerned with money and risk management.

Here's how finance executives use financial services:

Provided project-based senior-level financial services in financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting, internal controls testing and capital planning.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of Financial Services BPO Sales and relationship management processes.

3. Portfolio

Here's how finance executives use portfolio:

Maintained Correspondent Banking relationships in a moderate to large size portfolio and developed new business relationships.
Led financial aspects of unit responsible for development and management of diverse company portfolio.

4. Financial Products

Financial products refer to instruments through which an individual can invest, borrow or save money. Such devices include credit cards, shares, deposits, bonds, and loans.

Here's how finance executives use financial products:

Delivered financial seminars to educate staff and cross-sell financial products and services.
Provided data and application support for Reuters financial products.

5. Real Estate

Real estate is land that has buildings on it. This kind of property consists of permanent improvements either natural or man-made, which include, houses, fences, bridges, water trees, and minerals. There are 4 types of real estate namely; residential real estate, commercial real estate, industrial real estate, and vacant land.

Here's how finance executives use real estate:

Maintained relationships with real estate client base, liaised with approved developers.
Participated in research on local and regional real estate market and perform regular risk and return analysis on existing investment portfolio.

6. Insurance Products

Here's how finance executives use insurance products:

Developed, maintained and support the sale of Banking, Investment and Insurance products and services.
Licensed and commissioned to sell proprietary investment and insurance products aiding business owners and individuals in attaining their financial goals.

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7. GAAP

Here's how finance executives use gaap:

Improved financial results $50 million (GAAP) in 2000 over 1999 and generated the first profit in four years.
Prepared monthly revenue and expense reporting according to US GAAP and other local standards.

8. General Ledger

Here's how finance executives use general ledger:

Served as a member of various oversight committees including Sarbanes-Oxley, Corporate Consolidations, and a general ledger transformation initiative.
Improved and maintained integrity of accounting systems to ensure accurate reconciliation of balance sheets and general ledger.

9. Internal Audit

Internal audit is an evaluation process that ensures that a company's risk management, governing body, and other internal processes are running effectively. People who perform internal audits must be highly qualified, have experience, and knowledge to work accordingly with the international standards and the code of ethics.

Here's how finance executives use internal audit:

Handled deductions of TDS as per income tax requirements and prepared deduction statements and handling internal audits & statutory audits 4.
Assisted the Federal and Internal auditors for audit of all bank books and ensured all practices are adhered to.

10. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how finance executives use payroll:

Composed emails/memo s to employees as needed for HR related information, policy changes, or timekeeping and payroll information.
Entered new hires into the payroll system, set up deductions, union dues, garnishments and benefits.

11. Securities

Here's how finance executives use securities:

Provided financial guidance while creating varied securities portfolios for sophisticated investors.
Supervised 3 securities licensed personal bankers and sales assistants.

12. Financial Data

Here's how finance executives use financial data:

Analyzed financial data concerning corporate advertising operating/overhead expenditures relevant to corporate advertising budget.
Conduct research and analysis to provide management with financial data and recommendations for use in setting and realizing cost reduction objectives.

13. Balance Sheet

Here's how finance executives use balance sheet:

Handled monthly financial reporting which included gross margin report and divisional template (profit/ loss information along with Balance Sheet)
Uploaded P&L and balance sheet figures from Oracle to Hyperion Financial Management (HFM).

14. Financial Institutions

Financial Institutions come in all sizes, forms, and are meant for all sorts of purposes. Some only keep money, some only trade it, some focus on extending loans, some work with only other financial corporations or regular business and companies, and some are built to be useful and multi-purpose. A central bank, for example, is a banking institution meant to keep an eye on other banks and ensure that no laws or rules are broken or bent.

Here's how finance executives use financial institutions:

Cold-called numerous financial institutions to locate relevant candidates for roles that were active.
Spearheaded sale of risk operation maps to 95% of all financial institutions in Colombia.

15. Financial Reports

Here's how finance executives use financial reports:

Organized monthly, quarterly and year-end closing of consolidated financial records and prepares financial reports.
Processed bank reconciliations and financial reports to verify proper due diligence.

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What skills help Finance Executives find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on finance executive resumes?

Raymond Peters

MBA Director & Leadership Instructor, Nicholls State University

We repeatedly hear from employers that "essential/soft" skills remain high on their recruiting wish list. As someone who has hired professionals for over 40 years, you generally assume that if an applicant has experience at a reputable institution, they should have the technical qualifications for the role. What you are looking for is credential separation. What makes them stand out? Have they been in parts to practice his/her communication skills? Similarly, with conflict resolution and problem-solving skills. Internships and applied work experience are always beneficial. Lastly, the customer service experience is desirable.

What finance executive skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kim Tan Ph.D.

Professor, Accounting, Chair, California State University - Stanislaus

Travel abroad. Study/work on some certification to learn new/related skills (MOOC). Volunteer work. Work to help support the family. Prepare for graduate school. Work at a lower-level job in an organization they are interested in.

What type of skills will young finance executives need?

Dr. Reid Cummings

Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate, University of South Alabama

As computing systems continue to advance and evolve, and as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in data analytics, the ability to work with a variety of data manipulation, analysis, and presentation platforms will become increasingly important. Equally, a focus on improving critical thinking and communication skills, and the abilities to present outcomes, analysis, and ideas in a succinct, cogent, and logical fashion, will largely differentiate those who will succeed at a high level from everyone else.

What soft skills should all finance executives possess?

Haran Segram Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business

Digital transformation is here to stay. Future of work will be a hybrid (in-person/remote) model. Therefore, graduates should have the ability to work on multiple companywide group projects from remote locations. This requires individuals to be self-driven and have the aptitude to perform tasks with minimal supervision or mentoring.

Do you want to know more?

List of finance executive skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a finance executive resume and required skills for a finance executive to have include:

Financial Statements
Financial Services
Portfolio
Financial Products
Real Estate
Insurance Products
GAAP
General Ledger
Internal Audit
Payroll
Securities
Financial Data
Balance Sheet
Financial Institutions
Financial Reports
ERP

Business Development
Purchase Orders
Credit Control
Due Diligence
CPA
SOX
PeopleSoft
Financial Management
Equities
Financial Planning Analysis
Human Resources
Financial Analysis
Internal Controls
Financial Performance
A/P
Business Plan

Sarbanes-Oxley
Life Insurance
MIS
Fixed Assets
Journal Entries
Financial Results
Annuities
Variance Analysis
Bank Reconciliations
Bank Accounts
KPI
Investment Products
Financial Operations
QuickBooks
Client Accounts

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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