Here’s a sample resume we recently produced for a Senior Banking Director in Malaysia.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- About the Banking Role
- What Hiring Managers Look For In Banking Resumes
- Banking Job Opportunities
- Job Hunting Tips from our Resident Headhunter
Banking CV [Full Sample]
Here’s a full Banking resume sample, which we wrote for a client recently.
- Client Advisor with 17 years of experience in private banking. Expertise in managing ultra high net worth clients across Middle East and Europe. [This opening line perfectly captures a strong summary]
- Outstanding success in growing assets under management across diverse markets. Outstanding track record in retaining clientele during global financial crisis.
- Strong technical background. Deep understanding of complex instruments with ability to provide detailed advisory to clients on maximising portfolio returns. [These are the exact phrases used in the job advertisement we are applying for. The HR Executive reading your CV may not have a banking background. Their understanding of the industry is limited. Ensure you use the language they’re familiar with, such as the phrases used in the job advertisement.]
- Broad and deep understanding of diverse cultures across Middle East and Europe with strong multi lingual ability and proven ability adapt to different cultures within short periods of time.
- Experienced working with C-level management and other business leaders on complex projects and strategic growth initiatives. Adept at motivating and mentoring teams in cross-functional environments. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Achievements include:
- Generate revenue stream of 1 million USD annually; successfully pitched and acquired several members of prominent ultra high net worth family across several locations in the Middle East, resulting in 9-digit assets inflows — XYZ Global Bank
- Responsible for acquisition and servicing of ultra high net worth clients, managing and strengthening key client relationships [The opening line captures all the reader needs to know about this role]
- Identify clients’ needs and requirements; tailor suggestions to grow wealth using broad range of investment instruments available at XYZ Bank
- Actively communicate with team of analysts to determine market sentiment; ideate on alternative investments and hedge against market volatility
- Provide sound advice to clients and suggest broad spectrum of conventional and unconventional investment instruments for: small commercial projects, company acquisitions, bonds, securities and property investments to maximise portfolio returns
- Collaborate with global and local organizations in the GCC and Asia to promote Kuala Lumpur as a financial hub for Middle Eastern based investors, raising awareness of XYZ Bank’s KL booking platform
- Generate revenue stream of 1 million USD annually; successfully pitched and acquired several members of prominent ultra high net worth family across several locations in the Middle East, resulting in 9-digit assets inflows
- Single-handedly set up private banking operations desk targeting Middle East and Europe; responsible for acquisition and servicing of ultra high net worth clients
- Leveraged on UBS’ wide network to acquire UHNW clients; tailor tax, legal, credit and investment solutions for complex offshore trusts
- Provided mentorship to junior relationship managers; groomed and advised young executives on best practice and strategies to acquire clients and boost share of wallet
- Successfully grew share of wallet to over 150 million USD; achieved growth of 50% over 2 years
- Played key role in stabilising operations in Malaysia; identified underperforming and unprofitable accounts and ensured removal
- Headhunted internally to stem outflow of capital from private banking clientele during global financial crisis; actively communicated with client to provide assurances on deposit safety and excellent suite of services offered by UBS Wealth Management
- Leveraged extensively on full spectrum of resources available in UBS to provide outstanding services to clients; connected UHNW clients with key investment specialists within UBS to reorganise portfolio in order to maximise returns during economic downturn
- Instrumental in retention of ultra high net worth clients during financial crisis; successfully maintained book value in excess of 400 million USD excluding strategic global custody accounts
- Responsible for marketing of UBS Wealth Management services; organised various outreach initiatives targeting HNWI across Cairo and Alexandria
- Consistently led and drove various strategic marketing projects and regional initiatives to grow client base and improve service offering
- Instrumental in improving share of wallet through active identification of dormant and underperforming accounts; worked closely with client advisors to conceptualise and execute strategies to increase investments in UBS’ broad portfolio of investment instruments
- Performed duties as junior client advisor to HNW clients in Saudi Arabia
- Selected by superiors to manage clients’ active trading portfolios due to familiarity with complex trading instruments and good grasp of market sentiments to provide sound client advice
- Responsible for daily long short position of contracts on the sugar futures market for worldwide office; produce reports detailing risk and portfolio for head office in USA
- UBS Wealth Management Diploma (2006)
- Maturite Commerciale (2001)
- Swiss Commercial Federal Certificate (1998)
- Technical Skills: MS Office Suite
- Languages: English, German, and Mandarin
- Availability: 1 month’s notice
References available upon request
Writing a Banking Professional Resume
Follow the steps of our resume writing guide and you’ll have a killer CV in no time!
1. Resume Header
Ensure your header clearly states your Name, Email Address and Contact Number. There is no need to put your home address or identification number.
2.Breaking Down the Banking Director Resume Sample
An Executive Summary is the opening paragraph of your CV. It’s a snapshot of your overall career.
In the 6 seconds recruiters spend reading your CV, they will read your Executive Summary first.
This means the Executive Summary is arguably the most important part in your resume. It tells recruiters your background, top strengths, certifications, industries you specialise in, and Significant Achievements.
Be sure to present your unique selling point and career narrative in your Executive Summary.
Here’s what an Executive Summary shouldn’t look like:
- Senior Banking Director with experience in Private Banking, Client Advisory, Portfolio Management, Growth Strategy and Staff Traineeship and Mentoring across Relationship Management, Wealth Management and Futures Departments of multiple regional and global banks.
- Excellent client communication skills, stellar at nurturing client relationships with HNWIs across multiple regions around the globe. Adept at latest industry trends; able to provide advisory to clients to maximise their portfolio returns based on my deep understanding of complex financial and technical instruments.
- Accomplished leader, experienced in directing multiple large teams, overseeing cross-disciplinary projects, with a proven ability to deliver projects effectively and successfully
Now look at one which we had written for James:
- Client Advisor with 17 years of experience in Private Banking and Client Advisory. Expertise in managing ultra high net worth clients across Middle East and Europe.
- Outstanding success in growing assets under management across diverse markets. Outstanding track record in retaining clientele during global financial crisis.
- Strong technical background. Deep understanding of complex instruments with ability to provide detailed advisory to clients on maximising portfolio returns.
- Broad and deep understanding of diverse cultures across Middle East and Europe with strong multi lingual ability and proven ability adapt to different cultures within short periods of time.
- Experienced working with C-level management and other business leaders on complex projects and strategic growth initiatives. Adept at motivating and mentoring teams in cross-functional environments. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Achievements include:
- Generate revenue stream of 1 million USD annually; successfully pitched and acquired several members of prominent ultra high net worth family across several locations in the Middle East, resulting in 9-digit assets inflows — XYZ Global Bank
Now, the second Executive Summary is clearly better.
Why?
It demonstrates:
- Clarity of Thought. The updated Executive Summary is easier to read than the first. This conveys clarity of thought to the reader. Most candidates have plenty of experience, and numerous Achievements to go along with their years of experience. Hence, it’s easy to dump all the relevant experience and keywords into your resume. But at this level, experience isn’t the issue for employers – clarity of thought is. As Hiring Managers, we’re thinking:
- Does this candidate know how to prioritise?
- Do they know how to communicate the essence of information to time-strapped individuals?
- How good are their communication skills?
- Do I have the confidence to recommend them to VIP and UHNW clients quickly?
A clear resume is an effective resume, for it conveys clarity of thought and inspires confidence in the candidate.
- A clear resume is an effective resume, for it conveys clarity of thought and inspires confidence in the candidate.
- Specific Information. While James provided a high-level career overview (years of experience and domains of expertise), he has also indicated specific skillsets that he has expertise in. These traits include building relationships with UHNW clients, wealth management and advisory, and deep technical knowledge of his subject matter. In contrast, the first Executive Summary tells us too much information. We’d be confused of the candidate’s real strengths and abilities.
- Communication. The first Executive Summary tells recruiters what James can do. Alas the summary is riddled with generic statements that seem to mask the candidate’s real abilities. This is a huge red flag for recruiters! In contrast, the second Executive Summary illuminates James’ career. His skills are strengthened by Significant Achievements – they show recruiters James’ strengths. We’ll elaborate more on Achievements below.
- Attention to Detail. Numbers and metrics convey a sense of scale to your Achievements. But more importantly, they reflect an attention to detail. As Bankers, you know that the devil lies in the details, and that detail-oriented Banking Professionals excel at their role. Therefore, be concise and detailed in your Executive Summary, inserting only key information.
What else did you like about this Executive Summary? Excited to write your own?
If you’re struggling to write one, don’t fret! Writing an effective Executive Summary can be challenging. Why not try drafting yours, then send it to us for a free review? We’ll look through it and share our feedback – all at no cost!
3.Key Skills in a Banking Director Resume
After captivating the recruiter with a strong Executive Summary, you want to show them specific skills you can bring to the table.
In this section, insert skills that you are proficient in. Be mindful to include exact keywords used in the job description. This increases the chances of getting your resume past ATS scanners (resume scanning software).
ResumeWriter Tip: Scan the job application and add the exact key phrases used in the description, into your resume.
Examples of Banking Director Resume Key Skills:
- Client Advisory
- Client & Stakeholder Communication
- Conflict Resolution
- Wealth Management
- Project Management
- Project Scoping
- Strategic Roadmapping
- Change Management
- Financial Instruments
- Risk Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Negotiation
- Team Leadership
- Internal Team Training
- Regulatory Compliance
- Client Relations
- Financial Tools and Analysis
- Branch Operations
- KYC Policy Compliance
- Risk Management
- Accounts Processing
At this level, focus your resume on client-facing skills. These include skills such as Advisory, Stakeholder Communication and Conflict Resolution. Avoid inserting skills that revolve around implementation and execution, such as Financial Modelling or Preparation of Presentations.
4.Achievements and Work Experiences in Banking Director Resumes
Work Experiences
As Directors and Senior Management, you handle clients, sales and negotiation. At the same time, it is likely you started your career with execution-based roles such as trading financial instruments, examining financial models and preparing presentations.
Including all these details in your resume makes your resume very lengthy – a pitfall you absolutely want to avoid.
So, what exactly do you write in your resume?
Here’s a trick: Cluster daily workscopes around responsibilities and high-level summaries. Omit implied workscopes to save space.
Present yourself as someone who is able to keep on task and achieve substantial outcomes. You may wish to pace your resume by stating the people you have worked with and the collaborations you have managed.
If you’re not sure exactly what to write, just reach out to us! We’ll provide detailed feedback on your CV at no cost!
Here’s the Work Experiences section of James’ resume before he purchased our service:
- Responsible for all aspects of client acquisition, from pitching, onboarding, servicing to conflict resolution. I handled primarily UHNW clients, with multiple instances of corporate clients. I identified their needs and requirements, before pitching strategies and solutions offered by XYZ Bank and facilitating their smooth onboarding.
- Worked together with regional team of Professional Services analysts to decipher market behaviour and sentiment; provided strategies and pitched proposals to hedge against market volatility and ensure profitability for department and bank.
- Attended regulatory, strategy and commercial meetings to chart XYZ Bank’s future expansion opportunities within the Malaysia and South East Asian markets.
- Address regulators and auditors on a frequent basis to resolve conflicts.
- Mentored junior staff and interacted frequently with new traders to introduce them to our bank’s culture.
Here’s how we improved his resume’s Work Experiences.
- Responsible for acquisition and servicing of ultra high net worth clients, managing and strengthening key client relationships
- Identify clients’ needs and requirements; tailor suggestions to grow wealth using broad range of investment instruments available at XYZ Bank
- Actively communicate with team of analysts to determine market sentiment; ideate on alternative investments and hedge against market volatility
- Provide sound advice to clients and suggest broad spectrum of conventional and unconventional investment instruments for: small commercial projects, company acquisitions, bonds, securities and property investments to maximise portfolio returns
- Collaborate with global and local organizations in the GCC and Asia to promote KL as a financial hub for Middle Eastern based investors, raising awareness of XYZ Bank’s Malaysia booking platform
Clearly, the latter Work Experience example reads so much better than the former.
Why?
- Firstly, the second Work Experience example is so much easier to read. Each bulletpoint conveyed one key trait. In contrast, the earlier Work Experience example compresses all his Client Relations and Advisory workscopes into one lengthy point.
- It is easy to infer this Banking Director’s responsibilities from just one glance.
- The second example highlighted specific traits. We know exactly how James advised his UHNW clients: by suggesting a broad spectrum of conventional and unconventional investment instruments for them to maximise portfolio returns. In contrast, the first example only told recruiters what he did.
- Implied work experiences like attending meetings are omitted.
- No pronouns or articles in the second example.
5. Key Achievements
Writing effective workscopes is important.
But Achievements are the X-factor that help YOU stand out from other Sales Managers or Management competitors.
Want to make a hiring manager go “WOW!” when they read your resume?
Be more than just a planner!
Hiring managers aren’t impressed by someone who just knows how to talk to clients or manage projects…
…they’re dazzled by someone that excels at it!
Build a trophy case, and show off your achievements AND past projects.
Demonstrate how your client advisory and project management has led to tangible business benefits.
Take a look at this example.
- Generate revenue stream of 1 million USD annually; successfully pitched and acquired several members of prominent ultra high net worth family across several locations in the Middle East, resulting in 9-digit assets inflows
- Successfully grew share of wallet to over 150 million USD; achieved growth of 50% over 2 years
- Played key role in stabilising operations in Malaysia; identified underperforming and unprofitable accounts and ensured removal
Isn’t this an amazing curation of Achievements?
This candidate’s workscopes tells us he is a good Banking Director.
But this selection of Achievements, shows how he successfully KILLS IT in his role – they show us his business results!
He dangles these juicy results in front of us recruiters’ eyes.
As recruiters, we’d LOVE to call him in for an interview!
Highlighting a selection of Projects are more effective than just writing your day-to-day responsibilities.
But writing great Achievements – Achievements that show business results – are the secret sauce to a successful resume.
Do include metrics or numbers in your achievements. This helps to add substance to your resume and give the reader an objective view of your skills and abilities.
As a Banking Director, what kinds of Achievements could you write?
- Include projects which you have led and their resulting tangible business benefits. These benefits could be:
- New revenue gains
- Cost savings for the firm
- Enhanced/streamlined processes
- Awards received during your tenure, if any
- Tie your Projects to business benefits. Hiring managers and employers want to see your results.
- Include as many details as possible on the success of your projects. Effective metrics to capture include:
- ROI
- Productivity gains
- Revenues from marketing projects you spearheaded
- Costs saved
- One especially crucial area to talk about is your experience in conflict resolution when managing clients.
Bonus Job Hunting Tips For Banking Directors
You’ve learnt what it takes to write a successful Banking Director resume. But what exactly are some of the latest traits that recruiters looking out for?
Key Pointers Hiring Managers Look For Banking Directors
We’ve poked around our network of recruiters and headhunters in Malaysia. This is what we’ve learnt:
1. Ability to Lead
- Your ability to acquire clients, manage them, and resolve any conflicts that might arise.
- Your ability to deliver large organisational change.
- Your experience in analysing markets and identifying areas of unmet demand.
- Success in launching new divisions or products for both corporate and retail clients.
- Growing revenues or profits for bank.
Banking Director Free CV Feedback
- Now you know how to write a great Banking Director Resume, and what the latest hiring trends are.
- Why not try writing your own, using our Free Downloadable Resume Templates?
- If you’ve any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help! Alternatively, feel free to purchase a resume writing package – we can take this task off your hands!
- Before you start sending out applications, don’t forget to get a free CV Feedback Session with our team! We’ll give your resume a free review, before you start sending out applications!
Banking Director Job Opportunities
- Join LinkedIn groups or follow companies you wish to work for to keep abreast with new job openings.
- Alternatively, you can reach out to these headhunters in Malaysia to learn about any vacancies they may be trying to fill out.
Job Hunting Tips from our Resident Headhunter
- Create a winning cover letter and send it along your resume. The cover letter will serve as an introduction about yourself and is a great venue to answer the question “Why should we hire you?”
- Be active on social media, particularly on LinkedIn. Make sure to create a strong online profile that represents you and you professional experiences. Here’s our comprehensive guide on writing a great LinkedIn profile.
How to Prepare for a Banking Director Job Interview
Before You Go…
Be sure to download this resume sample, which uses our tested-and-proven resume writing techniques, as a guide for your own CV. Best part is, this sample is available for free 🙂
And before you start sending out applications, send us your resume for a free CV feedback analysis from our team. We’ll review your CV in detail, share personalised feedback on its strengths and weaknesses, and show you how you can improve it.