Would your accounting and finance CV pass the test? To secure an interview, your CV and cover letter will need to make it through AI screening software and have all the most bankable information in a skimmable format. You'll also need a firm knowledge of salary benchmarks to negotiate confidently during your interview.
Our experts reveal the best skills for a finance resume, job market updates, and how all the most successful accounting and finance CV examples organise information to increase the chances of success.
Accounting and finance jobs in the UAE job market
The UAE job market is seeing a shift going into 2024, with candidates looking for stability over progression opportunities and employers taking a more risk-averse approach to new hires. Despite this, the accounting and finance sector is seeing a surge in demand, especially where middle management corporate accounting roles are concerned.
The uptick in hiring activity is due to the difficulty start-ups are having raising debt in the risk-averse market. Rising interest rates have spurred organisations into hunting out finance and accounting professionals who have experience with loans, mergers, acquisitions, and raising debt.
The UAE economy is booming, creating a demand for treasury experts who can manage cash assets. Businesses are also looking to harness the momentum, prompting a surge in demand for forward-looking roles. Top professionals in demand are financial analysts, commercial finance managers, group financial controllers, heads of finance, and financial planning and analysis managers.
Long story short, if you’re a finance or accounting professional looking to relocate to the UAE, 2024 is a great time to make your move!
Top accounting and finance skills for your CV
According to data gathered for the Robert Half 2024 UAE Salary Guide, key skills for accountants and finance professionals for the next twelve months will typically focus on supporting emerging trends in the sector: cloud-based accounting, agile accounting, and growth efforts. Because of this, the most in-demand skills include enterprise resource planning, IPO and corporate listings, financial modelling, and data room management.
Read: 2024 Salary Guide UAE
The best accounting and finance CV examples pull high-demand skills through into the cover letter and executive statement alongside any matching skills from the job description. This will help your CV pass AI screening software and decrease the chances of a potential employer missing your high-value skills.
Keep your executive summary short (a four-line paragraph should do it); you can streamline the word count by eliminating obvious soft skills (hard-working, motivated, etc.) and focusing on the top-line details that are unique to you.
Our experts also recommend taking brevity into account when writing about your previous roles. Bring all pertinent skills, tasks, and experience to the top and eliminate anything superfluous or glaringly obvious concerning that role. Ensure you include tangible results, stats, and figures alongside your achievements to give your CV more clout.
Read: How to write an effective CV
Average finance and accounting salaries for 2024
According to data collected for the 2024 UAE Salary Guide, salaries are relatively flat in the finance and accounting sector, with an average increase of +1.6%. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule — analysts’ salaries are being pushed up due to demand.
As one of the most in-demand roles for 2024, financial analysts could earn an average of $65,000 working at an SME and an average of $78,500 at a larger company. Commercial finance managers could earn $90,500 at an SME and $123,000 at a large company. Our survey data also shows that group financial controllers can command an average salary of $147,500 at a large company.
Read: Finance and accounting salaries for 2024
Employers will likely be willing to negotiate for experienced professionals with the right skills and experience. You can increase your chances of negotiating a higher starting salary by ensuring that your CV matches the role you're applying for and that you have some of the future-looking skills the sector is hungry for.
Once your CV is in order, upload it to our website or browse finance and accounting roles to find your next opportunity. For more help and advice on finance jobs in the UAE, download your free copy of the 2024 Salary Guide here or read our expat relocation guide here.
