Finance executives oversee their company’s monetary transactions. They manage cash-flow statements, create financial reports, collaborate with department heads to discuss budgeting and tax issues as well as ways to cut costs and boost profits.

To become a finance executive, at minimum you require a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or economics and possess strong management and problem-solving abilities that inspire others’ dedication.

Education

Finance executives are charged with monitoring a company’s financial transactions, creating and analyzing reports, and taking steps to increase profit margin. Furthermore, they require excellent interpersonal skills for communicating effectively within their own finance department and with its other employees.

To become a finance executive, you need to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or economics from an accredited four-year university. Financial professionals may gain experience through internships and coops while earning their degree. A bachelor’s degree can also prepare you to obtain your Certified Public Accountant license which provides knowledge in financial theory and law.

Finance executives’ jobs often involve technology, so it is vital that they build relationships with IT leadership. Doing this will allow you to understand company systems better and make wise financial decisions more easily. Meetings or phone calls with IT leadership is ideal. Also make sure that you possess strong knowledge of financial software programs to maximize efficiency in the office.

Experience

Finance executives are accountable for overseeing all financial processes of a company, from setting policies and creating budgets, to keeping tabs on transactions, to providing reports for managerial teams. To be an effective finance executive you must possess both outstanding accounting and analytical abilities.

Make your resume stand out from the competition by emphasizing your relevant experience in your resume. For instance, mention how you have successfully negotiated contracts and managed relationships with banks to improve business financing. Also highlight your strong organizational and communication abilities.

As a finance executive, your key objectives should be improving department efficiency, lowering costs and increasing revenue. Make your experience relevant by including action verbs such as spearheaded, coordinated or orchestrated in your resume. This will allow recruiters to see you as an accomplished leader who is capable of solving problems as well as help them determine if you are the ideal candidate for the role.

Skills

Finance executives use various skillsets to oversee the financial operations of an organization, including analysis, forecasting and budgeting. Furthermore, finance executives often rely on business intelligence software for decision making about investment or financing strategies as well as compliance with regulatory bodies or laws.

Understanding business processes helps finance executives identify ways to reduce costs and enhance efficiency, and find solutions for any losses incurred by their organizations. They can then utilize this insight to address any deficiencies and increase financial performance.

Finance managers require other skills as part of their job responsibilities, including leadership abilities, strategic thinking and business process management. A finance manager must inspire others with dedication and resolve problems efficiently while being able to work well under pressure while possessing strong interpersonal abilities – as well as communicating effectively across departments within an organization including non-financial departments and senior management.

Personality

Finance executives possessing unique personality traits make for effective hires for financial planning practices, with these choices having an enormous influence over its success. The Kitces Financial Planning Process Survey administered the TIPI version of the Big Five personality exam to highly successful financial planners, and the results demonstrated that those high in Openness and Agreeableness tend to choose careers as financial planners more often than those who score lower on these traits. Studies also show that career choices within finance tend to correlate with greater Extraversion and Conscientiousness levels as well as greater retirement satisfaction.