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Finance manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Carol Sullivan,

Thomas King

One of the most important hard skills a finance manager can have is a strong familiarity with creating and managing financial statements. Finance managers need to demonstrate a history of work with developing financial models and assessing financial performance. Finance managers need these hard skills in order to provide guidance and create objectives for an organization.

When it comes to soft skills, finance managers should have strong strategic planning and business development skills. In leading an organization, finance managers also need strong customer service skills to ensure customer satisfaction.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical finance manager skills. We ranked the top skills for finance managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 6.8% of finance manager resumes contained financial analysis as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a finance manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 finance manager skills for your resume and career

1. Financial Analysis

Here's how finance managers use financial analysis:

Lead a team of up to 3 analysts with responsibility for financial analysis related to National Brand and College/Professional Affinity portfolios.
Managed finance organization responsible for development and acquisitions financial analysis in Western U.S., Texas, Midwest, Canada and Mexico.

2. CPA

Here's how finance managers use cpa:

Maintain financial and personnel time records, work with CPA for annual audit and take quarterly Board Meeting minutes as directed.
Submitted completed financial documentation to, and coordinated with CPA for small business tax returns form 1020 and C-Corp and S-Corp.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how finance managers use customer service:

Promoted at least 12 highly qualified employees while maintaining a high-level business effectiveness in strategy execution and quality customer service.
Managed staff to ensure departmental objectives are achieved; ensure excellent customer service is provided to internal and external customers.

4. Hyperion

Here's how finance managers use hyperion:

Strengthened the distribution division by leading implementation of Hyperion software and the development of financial reporting and Key Performance Indicator metrics.
Partnered with internal and external auditors to document opening Balance Sheet and updated Hyperion Enterprise for beginning Balance Sheet by Company.

5. Financial Models

Here's how finance managers use financial models:

Led development of financial models during negotiations of contracts exceeding 100M with governments of Australia and Qatar while planning international expansion.
Created financial models for new technology investments with double-digit revenue growth and presented the results to business unit and corporate stakeholders.

6. Strong Analytical

Here's how finance managers use strong analytical:

Demonstrated strong analytical skills including trend analysis and the ability to develop innovative tactics to resolve automobile investment issues.
Key Achievement: * Consistently met deadlines while demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving skills to achieve corporate objectives.

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7. Work Ethic

Here's how finance managers use work ethic:

Recognized for dedicated work ethic and commitment to company.
Promoted through a series of increasingly responsible positions based on strong financial skills, technical abilities, and work ethic.

8. GAAP

Here's how finance managers use gaap:

Developed accounting and operating procedures to comply with appropriate GAAP, regulatory requirements, and external audit requirements.
Supervised and participated in the preparation of various consolidated financial statements and reports in compliance with GAAP.

9. Financial Data

Here's how finance managers use financial data:

Analyzed financial data concerning corporate advertising operating/overhead expenditures relevant to corporate advertising budget.
Advised business and infrastructure senior management by compiling, and analyzing monthly financial data, performance reports, and operating results.

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 managers use payroll:

Managed accounts payable/receivable, deposits, payroll preparation, purchasing and inventory management, liaison to accountant.
Managed finance and payroll processes for over 60 subordinate military units totaling over 4,400 assigned personnel.

11. Balance Sheet

Here's how finance managers use balance sheet:

Make the necessary general ledger adjustments in readiness to preparing financial statements/analysis of complex financial statements and reconciled balance sheet.
Manage monthly financial close process; deliver accurate financial results including comprehensive analysis of key expense and balance sheet items.

12. Variance Analysis

Here's how finance managers use variance analysis:

Coordinate labor and overhead variance analysis from expectations for all work/job orders including identification and corrective action development for issues identified.
Partnered with functional leaders and accounting to prepare month-end accruals and performed monthly variance analysis of budget/forecast against actual financial performance.

13. Financial Management

Here's how finance managers use financial management:

Directed the development of broad Office-wide budgetary plans, policies, procedures and systems to implement higher echelon financial management directives.
Participated on teams and committees with regard to the effectiveness of the Financial Management System and any modifications required thereof.

14. Financial Performance

Here's how finance managers use financial performance:

Analyze and communicate financial performance; engage leadership regarding unwarranted variances and develop and monitor action plans to resolve unfavorable variances.
Provided financial leadership and made recommendations to improve business operations and financial performance of the organization in order to achieve targets.

15. Reconciliations

Here's how finance managers use reconciliations:

Led a Corporate-Wide initiative to automate cash and securities reconciliations for highly diversified business units using COTS product, Recon-Plus.
Automated over 3000 operational and account reconciliations, saving the accounting units several processing days during accounting close period.

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What skills help Finance Managers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on finance manager resumes?

Carol Sullivan

Associate Professor, The University of Texas Permian Basin

Microsoft Office is most important in my professional opinion, but also Accounting software like QuickBooks is important. Computer literacy is really important, especially if employees continue to work remotely.

What soft skills should all finance managers possess?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for finance managers?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.

What finance manager 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 managers 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 technical skills for a finance manager stand out to employers?

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.

Do you want to know more?

List of finance manager skills to add to your resume

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

Financial Analysis
CPA
Customer Service
Hyperion
Financial Models
Strong Analytical
Work Ethic
GAAP
Financial Data
Payroll
Balance Sheet
Variance Analysis
Financial Management
Financial Performance
Reconciliations
General Ledger

Excellent Interpersonal
Cash Flow
Internal Controls
Process Improvement
Financial Results
Due Diligence
Financial Planning Analysis
ERP
Journal Entries
Cash Management
External Auditors
Human Resources
Financial Systems
Direct Reports
Shared Services
Financial Support

SOX
Treasury
Close Process
Fixed Assets
Financial Operations
ROI
Strategic Plan
Account Reconciliations
R
Sarbanes-Oxley
Revenue Recognition
Aftermarket Products
Business Plan
Financial Analysts

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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