Resume Tips for Professionals in Risk Analytics

There are a number of online guides about how to write a good resume, and everyone seems to have an opinion about what works, what the latest style is, and how many pages your resume should be.

In general, much of the resume advice out there is subjective. However, at Harnham, our consultants shift through countless resumes as part of their day-to-day jobs. Because of this, we have an in-depth understanding of the types of resumes that get a company’s attention, and the ones that don’t.

With this in mind, here are a few resume tips from our consultants on what to consider when drafting your resume, specifically for professionals in the Risk Analytics space.

What’s Going to Get You That Interview?

One of the most important things to keep in mind when drafting a resume is your overall goal. If you’re putting together or updating your resume, we’re going to go ahead and assume you’re using it to secure an interview, and ultimately, land a job.

A while nobody secures a role from the content of their resume alone, a poorly written resume can cost you the opportunity to even get to the interview stage.

So, what are the most important content elements to consider when drafting a resume?

• Structure: Decision-makers should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
• Concise communication: It’s important to show your ability to communicate clearly.
• Spelling/grammar: Sounds simplistic, but this will be looked at. Remember your resume is a document that you should have taken time to produce, so small errors will be costly.

Below, we’ll dive into more detail on what a solid structure looks like, and how to make your content stand out.

What Does the Structure Look Like?

This may well differ and is dependent on the level of role you are applying for. You will need to put yourself in the shoes of the decision-maker – what are they looking for in order to progress you to the first stage interview?

If you are a recent graduate, they will be looking at your education, but if they need people with experience, then this is the most important element for them.

Regardless of the level of the role you’re applying for, make sure to start your resume with a short statement about yourself. This profile shouldn’t be too informal and should focus on highlighting the strengths and skills you possess, relevant to the role on offer.

How to Summarise your Experience

Technical skills (SAS, SQL for example) tend to be important for roles in Credit Risk, so all relevant skills and technical knowledge like these should be highlighted.

However, what’s even more important is to clearly show how the application of your technical skills, knowledge, and experience had a positive impact on your current and/or previous company.

For example – if you came up with a new strategy for improving accept rates whilst reducing bad debt costs, show the data behind this change, and clearly outline the impact. Include precise, but not in-depth, detail to highlight your achievements.

“Reduced bad debt costs by 13% whilst increasing accept rate by 7%” is a lot more positive than “Reduced bad debt costs and increased accept rates”.

Also, it is worth explaining how you achieved something. If you had an idea that was put into practice, then go into a little more detail. Not too much – this is just to get you an interview after all, and you need to have something to tell them when you get to meet them beyond this information, but it should be just enough to make them interested to learn more.

For example, “I devised a refer rate strategy, coding daily lists in SAS. Once automated, refer rates fell by 15%. We saw an instant 8.3% reduction by implementing daily lists to underwriting.”

If you have experience managing people or a portfolio, reflect the exact detail of the team or portfolio. This will get across your ‘gravitas’ more than a general statement about management. Again, detail is the key. For example:

• ✅ Use this: Delivered circa £25mm reduction of in-year credit loss through more effective collections strategies
• ❌ Not this: Delivered a reduction of losses through collections strategies
• ✅ Use this: Primarily responsible for UK Portfolio, which peaked at over £10BN in receivables
• ❌ Not this: Managing a UK portfolio and a team of analysts

In other words, don’t just say what you did. Explain how your actions made a tangible impact on the business.

How Long Should Your Resume Be?

Again, everyone has an opinion on this. As a guide, 2-3 pages is a standard length. This gives ample space to concisely communicate your work experience, achievements, and education – whatever level of role you may be applying for.

Should You Include Your Interests?

Personality is important in roles within Credit Risk Analytics. You are presenting to people and dealing with stakeholders in other business teams and will need to have well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.

You don’t need to include too much information on your out-of-work interests but you need to show that you have interests other than just application strategies for credit cards. Please bear in mind though that you should not include any jovial comments – your resume should be read as a professional document.

Final Tip: Know Your Stuff

Make sure you are very familiar with your resume before any interview, including any quoted figures. This document has successfully secured you the opportunity to sell yourself to a prospective employer, so know the content thoroughly. By doing so, you will be well prepared and able to confidently answer questions on all aspects of your work, achievements, and education.

Are you looking to progress your career in Credit Risk Analytics? For market insights into the current market, information on job opportunities, and advice on your CV, get in touch with someone from our team today.