Quick answer
- Open with a summary that states your designation, years of experience and a result.
- Quantify achievements, such as time saved, costs cut or revenue gained.
- Name specific tools, like Excel, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Power BI or Tableau.
- Use a clean single-column layout, two pages for most candidates.
Toronto is Canada's financial hub, so landing a job in finance or accounting can be competitive. To stand out, your resume must emphasize technical financial skills and quantifiable results.
Use a clear format, and avoid multiple-column documents and extra graphics. List skills in bullet points, use a clean 11–12pt font and keep your resume to two pages, only extending to three if you have key, relevant experience to include.
Professional summary
Start with a strong summary. A resume summary (or profile) is like an elevator pitch. For example:
✓ Strong: Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with 8+ years of experience in corporate finance, skilled in financial reporting and strategic analysis.
You should also include figures and numbers in that summary. Did your contributions help generate revenue or save money? Be sure to highlight those achievements.
Quantify your achievements
Finance roles live on numbers. Bullet points should focus on outcomes:
✓ Strong: Led implementation of a new accounting system that reduced month-end close time by 20%.
✓ Strong: Identified cost-saving initiatives totaling $250,000 in annual expenses.
These concrete examples catch recruiters' eyes. Always include the context (what you did) and the result (efficiency, cost savings or increased revenue).
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Highlight in-demand skills
Finance employers are increasingly looking for candidates with both traditional accounting knowledge and modern technical skills. Beyond listing "financial analysis" or "budgeting," be specific. Include tools and systems such as:
- Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, macros, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP)
- ERP systems like SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite
- Financial modeling and forecasting
- Data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau
By clearly listing these skills, you improve your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS), which scan resumes for keywords that match the job description.
Conclusion
By focusing on measurable financial accomplishments and aligning your resume with Toronto's finance sector terminology, you'll catch both ATS filters and hiring managers' attention. Use bullet points and keywords to weave in the job description's requirements. This targeted, numbers-driven approach will help you earn that interview invitation.
About the author
Ozman Omar is the founder of Resume Canada and a recruitment professional based in Toronto. Follow on LinkedIn
