As any hiring manager knows, understanding an individual’s potential from their resume is a tall order. This is particularly true in the financial services industry – some resumes rely on tailored or exaggerated figures that make candidates seem too good to be true, while other resumes fail to showcase a candidate’s true potential. Today, we’ll explore what you should look for on a financial services resume so you can hire the best employees for your organization.
How to tell if a resume is an accurate reflection of an employee’s potential
After receiving numerous resumes for one particular job, it’s tough to find the true potential in the big pile. Luckily, there are things you can look for to help you determine whether the candidate has true potential to fill the position:
- The candidate tailors their resume to your company. They have done their research about your company and included certain talents and experience that demonstrate how they will add value to your company. This shows true potential, according to com.
- The candidate lists supporting experience for each skill set. Sometimes candidates embellish their skills to make them seem like a good fit, according to Glassdoor. To determine if the skill sets mentioned are genuine, look for work experience that supports them.
- The candidate has the proper career progression. If they have past experience that has led them to apply with your company, they are a potentially good candidate. This helps you understand why they’re applying and whether they’re appropriate for the position, according to Glassdoor.
What to look for in a financial services resume
First, it’s important to look for keywords that match the job description to determine whether the candidate is a good fit for the job or your company. Typically, companies use bots to sort through the large pile of resumes and bring out the candidates with the most potential.
If you don’t have bots to do the job for you, you can quickly search the document by looking in the skills section of the resume or by clicking Ctrl+F to search a Word document on your computer. The resume will typically include a section that lists the candidate’s talents. You should look for the keywords there. Some keywords to look for might be market awareness, teamwork, customer service, analytical skills, communication skills or other talents mentioned in the published job post or website with your company’s mission or beliefs.
Second, determine if the candidate is qualified for the position. By scanning their past work experience, you’ll know whether the candidate will bring what you need to the table. Some experiences you might look for are positions as a financial services representative, a financial analyst, a financial specialist or even a student in a financial services internship. If they don’t have a lot of experience listed, check out their education or certification background.
In addition to the experience or education, look at the duties performed and the skills learned in both the workplace and at school. According to ZipRecruiter, the skills the candidate will bring to you and the company are more important than their past work titles or big-name companies they worked for. Paying attention to these things will help you predict whether they’ll add value or solve a problem.
Third, make sure the resume is clean and concise. If the resume is unorganized, hard to read or riddled with grammatical errors, the candidate may be unorganized or lack a strong work ethic or attention for detail, according to Workopolis. A concise, neat resume displays characteristics that are beneficial in an employee.
Finally, check social media. This gives you a chance to learn more about the candidate, according to Glassdoor. The candidate should have included their LinkedIn profile, online portfolio URL or personal domain, or even their Twitter handle on their resume. Check these sites or the candidate’s Facebook profile and do some more research. This can be a great way to learn more about the candidate’s personality and values, especially since it’s often difficult to find this information on the resume. Exploring the applicant’s social media presence can help you more accurately gauge whether they will be compatible with the team and work well within the company’s culture, according to ideal.
Now that you know what to look for in a resume, you’re all set to build your team with the best candidates around. For more information about how to recognize financial services potential on a resume, contact the experts at Securities Training Corporation today.
