Indeed, you need to possess a wide variety of technical, interpersonal skills and be an excellent communicator for your work to be successful and efficient.
To get a compliance officer position within an organization, you’ll have to demonstrate your skills, abilities, and positive attitude to the hiring manager. What are the steps in accomplishing this?
An essential part of your compliance job search journey is going to be writing an effective compliance officer resume!
We’re here to guide you through all of the necessary steps required to write an impactful, strong resume.
Additional Information About The Compliance Officer Resume
The average annual salary is $71,100 as of May 2020 . (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics)
This is higher than the national average.
It is safe to say that those experienced in compliance policies and procedures or entry-level professionals are applying to compliance positions more than ever before. The demand is increasing, and so is the competition.
In order to get ahead in the regulatory industry and gain successful employment, you’ll need to have a strong resume.
Compliance Officer Resume Example
Here is an example:
James L. McAnulty
Compliance Officer
JamesLMcAnulty@gmail.com
917-612-3518
https://www.noironshirt.com/
Professional Summary
Driven Compliance Officer with 5 years of experience in dealing with compliance issues. An inspiring and conscientious leader with a strong background in team development and a solid reputation for assessing business needs, developing corrective action plans, working with action plans, and policy administration.
Work Experience
Compliance Officer
DreamScape Financials
01/2018 – Present
- Conduct negotiations to resolve differences and misunderstandings to meet the needs of both parties.
- Produced communication strategies to meet client’s KPIs.
- Ensuring contracts were prepared for the department and presented to the attorneys for approval.
Education
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
ADAMSON UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, USA
2011 – 2015
Skills
- Investigations
- AML
- Project Management
- Managing Direct Compliance Issues
- Implementing Compliance Programs
Languages
- English fluent
- Cantonese fluent
How to make a Compliance Officer Resume
Writing an effective resume can be challenging, especially when your profession involves extensive comprehension in regulatory requirements, compliance issues and internal audits.
In order for you to be able to create and write resume content successfully, you’ll need to consider some important factors for resume writing.
An effective compliance resume is going to have a proper resume format structure and layout. These two elements will be the building blocks for your application.
The layout of the Compliance Officer Resume
A professional resume needs to look like it can ensure compliance and deliver valuable information about your work expertise in just a few minutes.
Content sections are going to be titled parts of your officer application, where you’ll be able to write in the relevant information.
Sections are necessary to make your application look good and for the text to be much easier to read!
We will incorporate these sections into the article as well as give you tips on how you should include them in your resume:
- Contact information
- Professional Summary
- Work Experience Section
- Education Section
- Skills Section
- Additional Information
The structure of the Compliance Officer Resume
Once the layout is taken care of, you’ll need to be able to write the content of your application in a logical, comprehensive, and readable way.
The best way to go about this is to apply a proper application format structure to your written content. The most popular cv format that’s being used in applications today is the reverse-chronological format.
On top of formatting your cover letter successfully, we recommend using bullet points for the cover letter sections where you’ll be listing down your past experiences, responsibilities, and abilities.
Start with the Header of the Compliance Officer Resume (Contact Information)
As we’ve discussed earlier, there is an increase in competition and the number of applications sent to hiring companies looking for officers. The main reason why everyone is applying is to get noticed and get a callback.
It goes without saying, one of the most important sections for your cover letter is going to be the contact information header. This is where you’ll be writing all of the necessary info that’ll be used to get in touch with you.
After titling your application with your name, write your contact information below. You can include your work phone number, email address, physical address, LinkedIn, and website link.
Example of a good header / Example of a bad header for compliance
Here is an example:
James L. McAnulty
Compliance Officer
JamesLMcAnulty@rhyta.com
917-612-3518
https://www.jameslmcanulty.com
https://www.jameslmcanulty.com
Compliance Assistant
JamesLMcAnulty@rhyta.com
917-612-3518
James L. McAnulty
Professional summary for Compliance Officers
Once your contact information has been successfully written, we’re going to have to consider what comes next.
In order for your application to be suited even for those readers that spend little time reading over your application, you’ll need a section that’s going to efficiently and briefly talk about your experiences and abilities.
A great way to introduce information from your cover letter in a single introductory section is by writing a professional summary section.
The professional summary is going to talk about your past relevant work experience, skills, and achievements in just a few sentences. This section serves to build up value in your abilities and showcase how you can benefit the new employer.
Examples for Compliance Officer Resume
Professional Summary
Driven Compliance Officer with 5 years of experience in regulatory reviews and regulatory inquiries. An inspiring and conscientious leader with a background in team development and a solid reputation for assessing business needs, developing corrective action plans, working with action plans, and policy management.
Work Experience in the Compliance Officer Resume
Since you’ve written a shortened version of your work history in the summary section, now it’s time to write the actual work experience section.
This part of your application is going to be the biggest section on the page, so pay close attention to what related activities and experiences you’ll be writing about.
The work experience section is a way for you to talk about your past training and professional experiences while working in corporate compliance for other employers. You’ll be going into some detail about your past oversight achievements, following laws and regulations, and maintaining job responsibility.
Describe your professional experiences on your Compliance Officer Resume
You are responsible for the company complying with all relevant laws and regulations to ensure the organization is following new changes to policies and procedures. Therefore, it is imperative that you can show to the HR department, you have the demonstrated ability to steer the company safely by complying with regulations and avoid any risk of harm coming to the company. Your work experience section has to create a background for your knowledge and experience and present you as the ideal candidate.
To make this section easier to read and better looking, we recommend using bullet points for each job description you’ll be including in your work experience section.
Bullet points need to discuss important, key moments and responsibilities you’ve had in your previous work.
Put your job title above your company name, employment dates, and job description. The title of the job should also be bolded.
With a few tips and examples, you can write a strong work experience section with no problem. See more work-related resume examples in our resume builder.
Examples of professional experiences for Compliance Officer beginner/junior
Work Experience
Compliance Officer
DreamScape Financials
01/2018 – Present
- Negotiations were conducted to settle disagreements and misunderstandings in a way that was satisfactory to both parties.
- Produced communication strategies to meet client’s KPIs.
- Enabled the signature and execution of all departmental contracts ensuring the attorneys prepared them in a timely manner.
- Proven ability to adapt from current regulations to new regulatory changes and make recommended improvements to the executive director, vice president and finance department and other departments
Examples of work experience for a Senior Compliance Officer
Work Experience
Chief Compliance Officer
World Bank Consulting
01/2018 – Present
- Ensured alerts are investigated and disposed of properly and in a timely manner; recommends and writes STR as necessary while ensuring Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) requirements adhered.
- Maintained a current understanding of money laundering and terrorist financing issues, including policies, procedures, regulations, industry best practice, criminal typologies and developing trends.
- Achieving a satisfactory audit rating by observing process control standards.
- Provided training to internal employees to improve procedures and prevent illegal fracture of regulations
Education in the Compliance Officer Resume
You’ve successfully written the experience section, and you might be wondering what comes next?
When it comes to compliance programs, an important part of an officer’s application is the education section.
This is the opportunity for you to show off your educational background.
Most companies and job postings require higher education for their candidates. Therefore we always suggest including a properly written education section where you can showcase your educational degrees.
Additional information about your expertise can be inferred from this section, which can prove to be quite valuable for your job search success.
Should you start with education or work experience in the compliance field?
You might be wondering if it is better to write your education part before or after your work experience section?
It would be better to dedicate more space to the work experience. This holds true for both entry-level and chief compliance officers.
Write your education part right after the work experience.
Check out our resume examples that can assist you with your writing a successful resume.
How to properly list your education in a Compliance Officer Resume?
Having trouble writing the education portion of your compliance application? Here are some tips:
- Start with the latest degree you have. Your education part should begin with your highest degree earned. You might want to start with your master’s degree and then mention your associate’s degree second.
- Indicate the name of your university, its address, the year you attended, and what degree you received.
- Only include GPAs above 3.7.
- You can summarize your coursework using bullet points that show how it relates to the job you’re applying for.
Example of the education part of a Compliance Officer
Education
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
ADAMSON UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, USA
2011 – 2015
Skills to put in the Resume for a Compliance Officer
Working in the compliance program requires many abilities. The job postings you’ll be viewing for officer positions will ask for a wide array of comprehension (i.e., Microsoft Office, knowledge of policies and procedures)
In order for you to successfully show off your abilities and professional prowess, you should include a skills section in your cover letter.
A skill section is a great way to highlight all of your relevant abilities; just make sure to relate the information to the job requirements.
What are the main skills sought for in a Compliance Officer Resume?
Here is a list of all top abilities related to the officer application:
- Creative Problem Solving
- Training coordination
- Document analysis
- Investigative
- Customer Satisfaction
- Customer Needs Assessment
- Fraud auditing
- Internal Auditing
- Regulatory compliance
- Domestic and International Experience
- Business management knowledge
- Reviewing marketing materials
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Organizational skills
- Understanding annual reports
Additional Headings for your Compliance Officer Resume
If you find yourself in a position where you have more space on the application page, we recommend adding additional sections.
Additional sections prove to be invaluable to your application, as they add further information about your background and expertise.
Certifications in a Compliance Officer Resume
Possessing accreditation standards or experience gained at a corporate compliance program is an invaluable asset to have while writing a compliance officer’s application.
These certificates and proof of accreditation will propel your resume to stardom. Hiring managers love certificates, as they add substantial information about your expertise.
The best way to add your certificates to your application is by adding in a certificates section!
Interests in a Compliance Officer Resume
Adding an interest section can be a great choice, depending on what kind of job you’ll be applying for.
Sometimes, it can be beneficial to add in a section that’s going to talk about your interests. However, we recommend adding in interests that are going to be related to the job.
Languages in a Compliance Officer Resume
If you are applying for a position that has a multilingual team and language requirements behind it, then we always suggest writing in a language section.
Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Compliance Officer Resume
An effective cover letter shows off a candidate’s strengths clearly. Throughout this article, we have gone over all the components that will help you write the most effective compliance application.
While writing compliance applications, you should remember a few important tips:
- In your application, you should use your name as a title.
- In a few sentences, describe your abilities and capabilities in the professional summary.
- Work experience must be included on a professional application. Bullet points add to the readability of your job descriptions.
- Make your skills section as relevant as possible to the job description.
Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Compliance Officer Resume
A great way to boost the strength and effectiveness of your application is by writing a cover letter to go with your compliance officer’s application.
A cover letter is going to be just like the professional summary, but instead of a few sentences, you’ll have a couple of paragraphs worth of information to offer the recruiter.
Initially, talk about your abilities and career motivation – what kind of work you’re seeking and why you think the company you’re applying to is the perfect fit.
Afterward, talk about your work experience and explain your responsibilities and experiences in detail.
Finalize your cover letter by briefly mentioning your abilities and why you want to work for the company, and what you’re looking for in this new position.
Frequently Asked Questions for a Compliance Officer Resume
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How do you put compliance on a resume?
If you’re a compliance professional and are wondering how to put your work experience and skill set into a cover letter, read through our article. In just a few minutes, you’ll be writing a strong and effective application.Follow our layout and structure guide to put your content on the cover letter page in an impactful way!
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What skills are needed to be a compliance officer?
There are many abilities that a compliance official must possess; among them are the following:
- Customer Needs Assessment
- Fraud auditing
- Internal Auditing
- Regulatory compliance oversight
- Advertising
- Domestic and International Experience
- Business knowledge
- Marketing Credit and Collections
- Budgeting
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Reporting
- Organizational skills
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What are the roles of a compliance officer?
It is the responsibility of a compliance specialist to develop, implement, monitor, and manage a compliance program for an organization. Coordinate with regulators. The management of risk-related programs, including planning, implementing, and overseeing revised policies. Establish and coordinate proper reporting channels for compliance issues.