How to create an amazing CV if you work in fund accounting
With competition fiercer than ever within the fund accounting space, ensuring your CV fully sells your experience and achievements is essential.
As part of our 'How to create an amazing CV' series (which also includes M&A and sales), here's our advice on how to structure your CV and what to include in it if you're interested in a fund accounting role.
What's below is based on conversations with financial services recruiters and HR professionals. We've included the basics on the premise that these are as likely to be wrongly presented as more complex elements.
If you work in fund accounting and structure your CV differently (and it works), let us know by leaving a comment below.
Your name
Postal address
Telephone Number, e-mail address
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Use this space wisely - this should not utilised to express clichéd platitudes about commitment and enthusiasm. It should concisely state your intent include as many key words and technical skill-sets as possible. Depending on your experience level, it should also contain details of any supervisory work.
For example:
ACCA-qualified fund accountant with five years' experience in the hedge fund administration sector. Exposure to daily, weekly and monthly fund calculation with as many as XX NAVs signed off each month.
WORK EXPERIENCE
· Name of the company you worked for, plus city and country you were based in
· You position and the business area you worked in:
Eg, Senior mutual fund accountant or Fund controller, hedge funds
· Outline six or seven duties in the role:
Eg 1. Reconciled onshore and offshore Open Ended Investment Company (OEIC) and Unit Trust Mutual Funds and Funds of Funds for XXXX clients
2. Prepare net asset value calculations on a weekly and monthly basis.
· Description of key achievements, which might help you stand out:
Egs, Details of interaction with clients; Exposure to other areas of the business - corporate actions, transfer agencies (do you perform these duties yourself); Niche areas of experience - Shariah compliant funds, UCITs compliant funds.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Eg, ACCA, CIMA, ACA - relevant levels
EDUCATION
-Name of university attended, city and country it was located in
Details of degree and grade achieved
· If you're a recent graduate, add relevant coursework: Emphasise anything related to business, accounting, or economics.
· Leaving Certificate: Only add Leaving Certificate if you graduated within the past five years. Specify grades. If you graduated more than two years ago and have relevant work experience, it is not necessary to specify subjects.
SKILLS, INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
Languages: European languages desirable, but not essential.
IT skills: Good: Knowledge of fund accounting systems, eg: Advent Geneva, Eagle, in-house systems (state which ones); Bloomberg; Advanced Excel. Irrelevant: Microsoft Office, Internet!
Interests: Make sure it's of note (ie, reading, travelling or going to the movies are not interests), but not too weird - eg, Ghost-hunting. Sports are always good to show team-work and/or discipline.
