How to write a CV for a finance internship (plus an example)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published 4 November 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Completing an internship in finance is a way to gain experience and knowledge as you enter a career in the field. On-the-job learning helps students and graduates reinforce what's already taught to them in school. Understanding how to write an impressive finance internship CV can help you show prospective employers that you're the ideal candidate for the position. In this article, we define a finance internship CV, describe steps to write one and provide a template and an example to guide you when writing yours.

What is a CV for a finance internship?

A CV for a finance internship is a document that finance students write to apply for internships in various organisations. This document highlights the applicant's academic qualifications, skills and background without focusing on work experience. This is because the applicants are mainly university or college students or recent graduates. Internships provide an opportunity for students to understand the working environment. Finance interns gain experience that they can apply to other career paths, like insurance and corporate finance. Examples of tasks that financial interns perform include:

developing client financial databases
following and managing the auditing processes
preparing and compiling monthly and annual financial reports
collecting client financial data for analysis
assisting in market research

How to write a CV for a finance internship

Finance interns gain mentorship and work on skills that build their careers through internships. They get experience by performing various roles under supervision and learning financial trends. A unique CV is more likely to help you secure an internship. Follow the steps below to learn how to write an outstanding CV:

1. Analyse the job posting

A job posting is a document that highlights the qualifications, skills and experience employers require for a particular job. It also includes the position's duties and responsibilities. Researching a company before applying for an internship helps you understand the company's mission, goals and ethics. A job description can also help you adjust your CV according to the qualifications and skills required for the intern role.

2. Review the keywords

Recruitment managers are likely to use an online application tracking system (ATS) to identify qualified candidates. They use the system to filter and analyse many internship CVs based on keywords they identify. Here's a list of examples of keywords that you can include on your finance internship CV to help pass through these systems:

financial analysis
assets
management
insurance
licences
corporate finance
budgeting
business strategy

3. Provide contact information

Include a section for your contact information in the header with your full name, phone number, email address and location. You can also include the link to your portfolio if you have one. These contact details give the recruitment managers a means to contact you in case of any enquiry or call-back. Proofread these details to ensure they're correct and up to date. Consider writing them in a large font and a bold format to make them more visible to the reader.

4. Write a personal statement

A personal statement is a brief professional summary highlighting your career and internship goals. You can also include your academic achievements and relevant skills for the role. Write what you want to achieve during the internship and how you can implement the knowledge and skills you have learnt. Recruitment managers may read this section first, before reading the rest of your CV. Ensure you write a short but informative statement to help differentiate you from other internship applicants.

5. Include your academic experience

In this section, explain your academic background. Many finance interns begin their internships while completing their undergraduate degree or shortly after they graduate. You may include diplomas, certifications, degrees and major awards relevant to the finance internship role.

Include the names of the institutions, course titles and modules and the dates of attendance. You can also write about your significant academic achievements and dissertation title, particularly if they relate to the finance field. These academic qualifications show the recruitment managers that you have all the knowledge and skills required to be a successful finance intern. The significant awards and achievements are more likely to differentiate you from other interns applying for the same role.

6. Highlight any job experience

Recruiting managers might not expect you to have experience in the finance field as you're still a student or recent graduate. You can include any part-time, volunteering or summer jobs you experienced while in school, if applicable. This can show the recruitment managers that you can work and succeed in a professional environment. You can also include other internships that are relevant to the finance field.

Relevant: How to find seasonal work as a student (Plus examples)

7. Highlight your skills and qualities

Highlighting your skills and qualities may reveal to the prospective employer how you're likely to benefit the company. Include both hard and soft skills. Soft skills are those that help with daily interactions with colleagues and in overall job performance. Technical training in school helps individuals acquire hard skills. Mention the skill and explain how you can implement them in your internship. Examples of relevant skills for a finance internship include:

mathematical knowledge and numeracy skills
basic knowledge of accounting
written and verbal communication
analytical skills
problem-solving skills
computer and technological skills
critical thinking

8. Include additional sections

You can include other segments to improve and enhance your CV, especially if you have little to no experience. Examples of these sections include hobbies, interests and awards relevant to the internship. You can also include volunteer work or projects you completed while at university. The recruitment managers can discover your interests and areas you excel at outside work.

9. Proofread and format your CV

Once you complete writing your finance intern CV, review the document to correct any spelling and grammatical errors. You can use grammar-checking software and applications for this. Consider asking a friend or relative to analyse the CV and give an opinion on how to improve its quality. A well-written CV helps prove your professionalism and attention to detail.

Format your CV to make it appealing to the recruiting managers. Use suitable fonts and sizes to improve the document's readability. Consider fonts such as Helvetica, Arial, Calibri and Cambria in sizes 11 to 12. Use larger font sizes for your headers and name. Add break spaces between sections to make the document easier to read and use bullet points where possible to list items.

CV for a finance internship template

Analyse the following finance intern CV template to guide you as you write yours:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [Location]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as an entry-level professional].

Education
[Degree], [Subject] | [Date of graduation]
[Name of School or University]
[Certification Name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Experience
[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [Location]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [Location]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

CV for a finance internship example

Review the following financial intern CV example to help you write one:

Toby Edwards, Bachelor of Science in business administration +44 (0)7434 567777 | tobyedwards@email.com | Leeds, England

Professional Summary
I'm a passionate graduate business administration student at Wavewood University and I've recently completed writing a dissertation that focuses on sustainable investing. I'd like to practise my analytical skills and finance knowledge at Stan Bank.

Education
Bachelor's degree with honours in business administration | September 2022
Wavewood University

Experience
Finance Intern | April 2022–June 2022
Carlyle Capital Ltd. | London, England

assisted clients in creating budgets and setting goals for saving
collected and managed client financial records to determine their needs
monitored clients' financial plans performance to keep track of the financial goals they set at the beginning of the year
suggested financial recommendations to supervisors to achieve client set goals
evaluated and analysed client's financial positions

Finance Intern | Jan 2022–Mar 2022
McKellen Ltd. | London, England

drafted financial plans for supervisors to review
reviewed financial trends and presented them to management groups
created a presentation of recommendations based on client information

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

Disclaimer: The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

Related:

Finance CV examples to use when writing your own CV