Top Finance Certifications for Beginners to Strengthen Your Resume
Finance professionals manage money for companies and individuals. Since jobs in the field come with a significant level of responsibility, recruiters for these positions review resumes with a critical eye.
If you’re new to the finance industry, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have the skills and accountability required without relying on prior experience. Certifications can strengthen your resume and show prospective employers that you’re serious about a career that deals heavily in cash.
We’ll reveal the top beginner finance certifications to pursue when you’re just starting out.
What are finance certifications?
A finance certification is a type of professional credential that verifies a person’s skills and knowledge in a specific area of finance. As a young professional, finance certifications can help you demonstrate your ability to perform a job when you lack real-world experience.
Certifications can be specific to a financial tool or product, like LinkedIn’s Excel for Corporate Finance Professionals certification, or may cover a certain aspect of the industry, like the Certified Fraud Examiner credential.
How can finance certifications strengthen your resume?
They make up for lack of experience
Since you haven’t had the benefit of absorbing knowledge in a practical work environment, you’ll rely primarily on the concepts you’ve learned from educational mediums like courses and degree programs. Certifications show a recruiter that you’ve mastered basic financial principles and have a solid base from which to grow your expertise.
They demonstrate proficiency
In finance and accounting roles, one small mistake can have major ramifications. Certifications demonstrate a level of proficiency with job-related skills that help a hiring manager feel confident that you can perform your duties competently.
They show commitment to continued learning
Certifications take time, even at the beginner level. Independently putting in the effort that’s required to learn the material, study it, and ultimately pass an exam shows prospective employers your drive and commitment to continuously expanding your knowledge.
They differentiate you from other candidates
If we consider the resumes of two entry-level candidates with bachelor’s degrees in accounting, they look awfully similar. If one person has a couple of professional finance credentials, though, they have a better chance of standing out and appearing as the stronger choice.
Related: Top Technical Skills Desired for Finance Jobs
Top finance certifications for beginners
These beginner finance certifications cover a wide range of specialties and can help you enter various roles.
Accounts Payable Specialist (APS)
Offered by: The Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM)
What it covers: Fundamentals of accounts payable, best practices, regulatory compliance
Who it’s good for: Anyone pursuing a job in accounts payable, which is the department responsible for making sure a company’s invoices are properly recorded, processed, and paid. This course can prepare you to obtain other IOFM certifications like the Accounts Payable Manager (APM) credential.
Accounts Receivable Specialists (ARS)
Offered by: The Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM)
What it covers: Fundamentals of accounts receivable, best practices, regulatory compliance
Who it’s good for: Those looking for a job in accounts receivable, which is responsible for collecting payments a company is owed. This fundamentals course will help you get started or refine your existing skills. The knowledge you’ll gain will help you pursue more advanced AR certifications like IOFM’s Accounts Receivable Manager (ARM) credential.
FinTech Industry Professional (FTIP)
Offered by: Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)
What it covers: Fundamentals of financial technology, data science, cryptocurrency, digital banking
Who it’s good for: Data scientists, FinTech strategists, analysts, and other roles at the intersection of finance, banking, and technology. Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by more than 15,000 enrollees, this certification will help you apply emerging technologies in a finance context, broadening your job prospects and increasing your earning potential.
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
Offered by: The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
What it covers: Fundamentals of internal auditing including objectivity, due diligence, quality assurance, governance, risk management, and fraud
Who it’s good for: Candidates applying for internal audit positions. Since you can take the CIA exam during your last year of college, this certification is a particularly appealing one for upcoming grads who will soon be job searching for the first time.
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Offered by: The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
What it covers: Fraud detection, prevention, and investigation tactics
Who it’s good for: Professionals looking to help organizations safeguard their businesses against the pervasive and increasing threat of fraud. You can pursue this certification without a Bachelor’s degree by earning the requisite number of points through a combination of education and work experience.
Enrolled Agent (EA)
Offered by: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
What it covers: Individual taxes, business taxes, tax representation practices and procedures
Who it’s good for: Enrolled agents represent individuals and businesses before the IRS, so it’s a solid choice for anyone interested in pursuing a tax-related speciality. There are no prerequisites; this credential is available to anyone who studies for and passes the exam, which usually takes between three months and a year.
Securities Industry Essentials (SIE)
Offered by: The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
What it covers: Securities products, markets, risks, and regulations
Who it’s good for: Professionals entering the field of securities. This certification is open to anyone age 18 and up who is looking to demonstrate their securities knowledge to prospective employers. You do not have to be associated with a firm to take the SIE. This certification, together with the Series 7 which we’ll cover next, is required to obtain the General Securities Representative registration.
Series 7
Offered by: The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
What it covers: The solicitation, purchase, and sale of securities products
Who it’s good for: Those wishing to become stockbrokers or work in another role that deals in the sale, trade, or recommendation of securities. Banks and brokerage firms often look for this credential in entry level candidates, as it’s necessary to become a FINRA registered representative.
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Offered by: The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
What it covers: Information system auditing, development, protection, management, and governance
Who it’s good for: People pursuing a job in IT auditing, which helps ensure an organization’s IT systems are running smoothly and efficiently. This credential has a specific focus on how emerging technologies like AI and blockchain are shaping the industry, so it’s a good way to demonstrate cutting-edge knowledge to hiring managers. In a survey of industry professionals, CISA was the preferred credential for IT auditors.
Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Certificate
Offered by: The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA)
What it covers: The opportunities, complexities, and implementation of alternative investment strategies
Who it’s good for: Financial analysts, advisors, portfolio managers, and any other professionals who want to add alternative investing strategies like real estate and hedge funds to their repertoire. This certification can help you identify emerging trends and confidently invest in and advise others on nontraditional investing mediums.
Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI)
Offered by: The National Financial Educators Council
What it covers: Personal finance, education strategies
Who it’s good for: Those looking to help others improve their financial literacy. This credential gives you credibility to instruct others on subjects like credit, debt, budgeting, and saving that can optimize their financial position and improve their lives.
Certified Personal Finance Counselor
Offered by: Fincert.org, a subsidiary of the Institute for Financial Literacy
What it covers: The fundamentals of personal finance, consumer protection regulations, communication and counseling techniques
Who it’s good for: Financial counselors who want to provide personal finance guidance to individuals in a one-on-one setting. This certification will position you to counsel people on setting financial goals, creating a budget, managing debt, and following a plan of action to stay on track with position money management.
Certified Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA)
Offered by: Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)
What it covers: Financial statement analysis, modeling, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, Excel
Who it’s good for: Those who wish to pursue a career in investment banking, private equity, corporate development or a related field. Financial modeling is a highly sought after skill in today’s labor market, so this certification can help set you apart when applying for roles that require this capability.
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC)
Offered by: CFP Board of Standards
What it covers: Principles of financial planning, investment planning, tax, retirement savings, estates
Who it’s good for: Professionals looking to hone their skills applying financial principles in real-world planning situations. As a certified financial planner, you’ll have the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives by helping them plan for and achieve their money goals.
No matter what area of finance you’re interested in, there’s a certification that can validate your skills and demonstrate your expertise. Whether you’re starting your career or transitioning into finance, adding certifications to your resume can make you a stronger candidate for jobs and show employers that you’re dedicated to continuously learning about your field.
