Discover your dream Career
For Recruiters

Twenty skills to list on your banking CV if you want a job now

Metaphorical gold dust on your finance resume

Where are the skills shortages now in global banking? Which skills and qualifications do you need on your CV to get yourself noticed by global financial services recruiters? Which sectors should you cover if you want to get noticed?

We have some answers. Based upon an analysis of the resumes uploaded to the eFinancialCareers CV database globally in the past three months, cross-referenced with jobs currently advertised on this site globally, we've identified some of the hardest to find skills and qualifications. As the chart below shows, the ratio of jobs-to-CVs is most favourable for people cognizant of the programming language C#. For every C# job advertised on eFinancialCareers, a mere 2.7 CVs have been uploaded to our system since late March.

Our analysis suggests that comparative skills shortages also exist for specialists in regulatory change, model risk, e-trading, regulatory change, and equity capital markets (ECM). For each currently advertised role mentioning these terms, we have fewer than six recently uploaded resumes in the system. As ever, an ACA accounting qualification will also act as a good differentiator.

At the other end of the scale, which skills won't make your CV stand out now? Much as 'big data' and 'FATCA' are buzzwords of the moment, they won't do much to differentiate you. Nor will being a telecoms media and telecommunications (TMT) banker - even though TMT M&A has been hot all year.

One of the most ubiquitous skills listed on financial services CVs (and one not shown on the chart below) is VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). Nearly 11,000 people in our database cite VBA as a skill, amounting to more than 30 resumes per currently advertised role. If you're expecting your VBA expertise alone to get you a job, you may be disappointed...

Where the finance skills shortages are today 

Skills shortages 3

Related articles:

Eight methods for reinventing your financial services career

Is this really the best Masters in Finance when your finance career has stalled?

CVA traders left stranded as XVA becomes big new acroynm

author-card-avatar
AUTHORSarah Butcher Global Editor
  • wo
    wowo
    13 September 2014

    Why is ACA not in other UK related countries?
    They have their own certification too.
    All trying ro create value in their certs.

    How about this.
    Heard some employers don't hire from ivy anymore.
    ... may collapse the bank. Proven.
    Then again, the best didn't.

  • An
    Anonymous
    4 July 2014

    @ Alio: Do you have a mental disorder or are you just really dense??? The CFA designation isn't a skill it's a professional qualification - I pray to god that you haven't done it nor have you passed it because you're watering down the difficulty and rpestige of having it with stupid comments like that.

  • Al
    Alio
    24 June 2014

    Would be interesting to see how the CFA designation / ranks on your chart.

  • va
    vaja
    24 June 2014

    If counting or attention to detail are desirable skills, the author of this article won't be finding a job in global banking any time soon, they've only listed 19 skiils!

Apply for jobs

Find thousands of jobs in financial services and technology by signing up to eFinancialCareers today.

Boost your career

Find thousands of job opportunities by signing up to eFinancialCareers today.
Recommended Jobs
Goodman Masson
Financial Sponsors VP (European Investment Bank)
Goodman Masson
London, United Kingdom
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
Operations Analyst – Major Hedge Fund – 70-85k base / 50-100% bonus
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
London, United Kingdom