You are revamping your resume for your next banking job. You know that the key to any successful CV is to incorporate achievements rather than simply list what you did in each job.
But what, exactly, constitutes a career achievement and how should you describe one on your resume? We spoke with several banking CV experts to find out.
Ask whether it was a ‘challenge’
So what is an achievement in CV terms? It typically needs to be something that “challenged” you, says Nick Lambe, a managing director at recruiters Links International. “Don’t highlight part of your day job as a key achievement as you’re not highlighting an actual challenge you overcame to deliver something.”
And don’t get too personal
You may think of them as ‘your’ achievements, but a new employer only cares about their impact on the business. “They will be asking themselves one thing: ‘what can you do for me?’ Candidates who answer this by clearly articulating what they have achieved for companies will always capture the most attention,” says Samantha Saw, co-founder and director of Successful Resumes. “Always write about the contribution you made to the company, team or region.”
Tweak them for each application
While banking professionals regularly change other aspects of their CVs, too many set their achievements in stone. “You must always analyse the job description and reflect on what achievements mean to an employer for that particular job,” says Alka Chandiramani, founder of career consultancy Alvo Connexions. “Achievements need to go deeper than just a skills assessment – they are sentences used to help the employer understand your expertise as a job seeker.”
If you led it, include it
Hiring managers love it when achievements relate to projects or tasks where you were in charge. “Try to include initiatives that you led and can demonstrate positive outcomes as a results,” says James Carss, a director at recruiters HFG.
But don’t forget junior achievements on your resume
“Many candidates believe that achievement-based resumes only apply to people in senior roles with significant responsibilities,” says Saw. “But achievements aren’t only about big numbers – anything that contributes to the company’s goals is an achievement. Even as an intern or fresh graduate, changing a process to improve the ease or speed of a task is an achievement.”
Start each achievement with a verb
Achievements for each job should be listed in bullet points. And each achievement should start with a verb in the past tense, says Maniyadeth Narayanan, a career coach and consultant at Lee Hecht Harrison. Examples include: grew profitability; saved money; improved productivity.
Don’t leave the reader wanting more
“Many candidates say what they did without stating the value of their work, for example: ‘Led a three-member team to implement new analysis software’. So what? What benefits did this new software bring?” says Nadine Yong, founder of The Resume Builder. “You’re underselling yourself.”
Instead justify your achievements
To avoid the above, always provide a measurement of your achievements. “If you’re a fund manager, it could be the size of assets managed. If you’re a product manager, how much money did the new products you developed and launched bring to the institution?” says Yong.
Add numbers where possible
If you can quantify your achievements with numbers, so much the better. Maniyadeth provides the following examples (the improved quantified versions are in italics):
Successfully evaluated investment opportunities in China and got the plan developed and approved by senior management.
Successfully evaluated, developed and implemented a plan for substantial investment in China resulting in a 20% return on investment in the last five years.
Completed a multi-million dollar project for the company.
Created and launched a successful commercial card business with growth in excess of 25% per year for the last three years.
Show you smashed your targets
It’s no good including numbers if they only prove that you’ve met your targets. But if you’ve surpassed expectations, make sure to shout about it. Saw from Successful Resumes gives this example: “delivered FX advisory and execution services that outperformed FX budget expectations by 48% in 2014”.
Keep your achievement statements brief
Limit your descriptions of each achievement to one sentence – recruiters and hiring managers don’t have time to read more than that, says Saw. “Be specific, succinct and eliminate unnecessary words, especially adjectives,” says Chandiramani from Alvo Connexions. “A potential template would be ‘led turnaround of $X, for X number of employees within X number of months.’”
And don’t clutter each job with achievement
Three to six achievements per job is usually enough – including more risks the recruiter’s eyes glazing over and your main accomplishments becoming lost. “Some senior candidates have a technical achievements section where they list everything under the sun,” says Vince Natteri, director of search firm Pinpoint Asia. “It’s counterproductive and dilutes the actual value they bring to the table.”
Achievements aren’t only for the front office
Back and middle-office candidates often struggle to effectively add achievements to their CVs because they can’t rely on revenue numbers. “But achievements can sometimes be contextualised instead of quantified,” says Lim Chai Leng, an associate director of banking and financial services at recruitment firm Randstad. “For example, the development of new product strategies or new risk/compliance frameworks can differentiate you from other candidates.”
Don’t forget academic achievements
Beyond just stating your grades, be sure to include any academic achievements in the education section of your CV. “An example would be making the ‘dean’s list’ and graduating in the top 5% of your class,” says Natteri. “Something like this is a solid achievement as it tells the potential employer that you’re able to learn quickly and work hard.”
Add extraordinary hobbies
“Include extracurricular achievements if they are remarkable,” says Natteri. “For example, completing the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event is something that employers could perceive as you being fit, energetic and outgoing.”
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