You’re about to write a resume for one of the most competitive jobs in the world.
It will end up in a heap of 250K other investment banking resumes. All of them from equally determined and qualified candidates.
Good.
Because it’s just the beginning.
If you really want to land the job, your investment banking resume must look like a million dollars.
And this is exactly what yours will look like in 15 minutes.
Here’s a sample investment banking resume made with our online resume builder.
One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:
[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three . With the same stuff.
Banking & Finance Resume Examples
Applying for a banking position? Looking for other finance resume ideas? We’ve got you covered:
1
What’s the Best Investment Banking Resume Template?
Three per cent.
About three percent of applicants are offered positions with top investment banks, such as Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan.
And this doesn’t mean the recruiters will be looking at 100 investment banking resumes to pick 3 best candidates.
Nope—
They’ll be sifting through a humongous heap of about 250,000 investment resumes.
In this context, it’s a bit of an understatement to say that your investment banking resume must stand out.
It has to be at least as impressive as the Vodafone-Mannesmann deal.
How to do this?
First—
Make sure your investment banking resume sticks to the reverse-chronological resume format .
For one thing, the reverse-chronological format is the best as it’s easily scannable. It lays out all the details in a way recruiters understand.
Plus, it’s the go-to format if you want to make sure your experience and achievements get the right attention.
And don’t forget to:
Last but not least:
Export your investment banking resume to a PDF file. The PDF format is like investing in CDs . Very safe.
Now, let’s move on to the next step.
Still not sure about the best format for your investment banking resume? Here’s a quick read:Best Resume Format: Which to Choose?
2
Investment Banking Resume Summary or Resume Objective?
Before you start earning that six-figure salary, you must earn seven seconds of the recruiter’s attention.
That’s right. An average recruiter will spend 7 seconds scanning your resume, according to our HR statistics report .
And they’ll glance straight at your investment banking resume objective or summary first.
So make sure yours delivers like Jimmy Lee.
Let’s take a quick look at the differences between the two:
Investment banking resume objective: two or three sentences at the top of your resume explaining to the recruiter why you’re a great fit. It’s best suited for freshers or those whose experience in the field is limited.
Investment banking resume summary : summarizes your experience that matches the position you’re after. Works best for those with previous experience in the field.
Investment Banking Internship Resume Example—Objective
right A motivated and skilled graduate holding a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College (GPA 3.9.) Worked as a summer analyst at BNP Paribas as part of M&A team on a $100M deal. Also interned as an M&A generalist with a boutique bank Allen & Company. Speaks fluent Russian and Mandarin Chinese.
wrong Looks for a position of an investment banker. Holds a BA in Economics. Great communication skills.
The first candidate not only knows exactly how to market themselves. He understands what the recruiters are looking for in career objectives for bank jobs for freshers:
GPA Relevant experience Numbers Communication skills
The candidate from the wrong example?
Fine, communication skills matter, but they don’t get jobs. Everyone’s a self-proclaimed great communicator on their resume.
In contrast—
The first candidate doesn’t even have to mention communication skills by name because they show through.
Instead, they add knowledge of foreign languages, which is a very desirable skill in the world of investment banking.
Experienced Investment Banking Resume—Summary
right An Investment Banking Associate with 10+ years of experience. Worked on and closed 20+ sell- and buy-side M&A deals each worth about $1B on average. Collaborated with CEOs and CFOs at 10+ venture-funded startups and IPO/M&A candidates. Served as a recruiter, and mentored over 10 new Analysts and Associates.
wrong Experienced Investment Banker who has worked on a number of M&A deals. Collaborated with C-Suite members. Coaching experience.
It’s not really much of a surprise that a resume summary statement presenting the candidate’s track record, achievements, and quantifying whatever’s possible leaves the other example far behind.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check . Start building professional resume template here for free
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder exactly how to make it better.
Want to make sure you max out your ROI when writing your investment banking heading statement? Read up on:
20+ Career Objective Examples and Writing Guide
Professional Resume Summary: 30 Examples and How-To Guide
3
The Best Investment Banker Job Description for a Resume
A quick fact:
Any deal can turn into an ordeal unless you close it.
And where do you close the deal with the hiring manager on your resume?
In the job description section.
So—
You need to craft it with the attention worthy of constructing a synthetic CDO.
Here’s how to do it right.
First—
Go through investment banker jobs online to find a position that matches your experience level and qualifications.
You may come across an investment banking analyst opening at JP Morgan Chase, like this one:
Investment Banking Analyst Responsibilities Participate in the "full cycle" of transactional execution including preparing marketing pitches, reviewing and formulating financial analysis, preparing and presenting internal committee memoranda and client presentations. Have a working knowledge of the relevant industry sectors and the Firm's product and service offerings. This person will be expected to develop expertise in the quantitative and analytical practices used to develop strategic, capital structure and valuation recommendations to clients and will work alongside senior bankers in providing relationship support and executing transactions .
Qualifications for Investment Banking Analyst Bachelor's degree from a leading university Prior Investment Banking or related experience is strongly preferred Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with specific ability to communicate concepts and ideas concisely and defend their validity Very strong financial modeling/valuation and analytical skills Ability to comfortably interact with clients in a professional and mature manner Outstanding ethics, integrity and judgment Strong intellectual curiosity Comfort in and commitment to strong teamwork environment Highly organized, detail oriented and proactive Excellent technology skills with superior Excel and PowerPoint skills and ability to quickly learn new software application
The sections in yellow show you exactly what skills the recruiter is looking for.
Treat the job ad as a guide that shows you how to cook up your own investment banking job description.
Plus, it includes all the keywords recruiters look for on an investment banking analyst resume.
Investment Banking Analyst Resume Example—Job Description
right Investment Banking Analyst
HSBC, January 2016 - August 2017, New York, NY
Interacted with high-profile clients and various levels of management, as an integral part of engagement teams on 10+ full cycles of transactional execution .Assisted in the preparation of over 50 PowerPoint decks based on client materials. Delivered marketing pitches to C-suite members of 20+ very large corporate clients.Developed valuations as well as created and analyzed financial models, and conducted financing, comparative, and pro forma analyses .Performed precedent transaction analyses in Excel .
Key achievements:
Assisted and supported a deal team on a successful $3.5B acquisition of a public company by a large private equity firm.Thanks to exceptional judgment and relationship-building skills, built a network of 50+ trusted internal and external contacts
See how it works?
You’ve just prepared the best investment banking analyst resume for the job on offer.
How?
By crafting your resume on the basis of the offer itself.
Now—
Do you remember how many resumes a bulge bracket investment bank such as Morgan Stanley can get?
Close to a quarter of a million.
Do you really think the hiring managers have nothing better to do but read 250K documents to manually select top 3 percent?
Nope.
Enter the ATS.
ATSs, or Applicant Tracking Systems, sift through the deluge of resumes to pick the ones with the resume keywords for investment banking.
What keywords specifically?
The ones used on the original job posting.
And this is exactly why you absolutely need to reply to a specific job offer.
If you want to go past the initial ATS screening, your resume must include the keywords recruiters look for on an investment banking analyst resume.
As easy as first grade algebra.
Plus—
You may have noticed the key achievements subsection right under the job description.
Use this section to give more prominence to the things you’re particularly proud of, especially if they’re quantifiable.
To craft the winning investment banking resume job description follow these simple rules.
Always reply to a specific job ad. Include the keywords from the job posting when describing your experience to go past the initial ATS screening. Go for resume action words to describe your investment banking skills. Highlight your achievements, not duties.numbers wherever you can, or adding a separate key achievements section.
And—
Be honest.
Honesty and strong work ethics are the qualities which will get you far as an investment banker.
So—
Don’t be tempted to simply copy-paste the job description from the job posting into your resume.
This will get you past the initial screening stage, but you will get exposed later on.
Use the job description to your advantage, but do it wisely.
Remember:
The first step is to identify the opening that matches your investment banking experience.
If you’re a student trying to prepare an investment banking resume with no experience, head straight to our guide:First Resume with No Work Experience
Still not sure how to come to terms with this section of your investment banking resume? Go to:Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Bullets that *Kill*
4
How to Put Investment Banking Skills on a Resume
So—
You have all it takes to take Wall Street by storm.
Sorry to disappoint you... but so do the other 249,999 candidates.
And no one will cut you any slack.
Do not fret, though.
You’re about to learn the most crucial skill of them all.
Communication.
That’s right, we hated on this skill in the previous section. Let us explain what we mean—
You’re writing your investment banking resume. It’s expected of you to have the necessary set of skills. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have applied in the first place.
At this point, it’s all about how you communicate those skills.
Here’s the secret:
Your investment banking experience section has already shown quite a lot about what you’re capable of.
Just look at your investment banking job description again.
Investment Banking Skills: Resume Example
right Investment Banking Analyst
HSBC, January 2016 - August 2017, New York, NY
Interacted with high-profile clients and various levels of management, as an integral part of engagement teams on 10+ full cycles of transactional execution .Assisted in the preparation of over 50 PowerPoint decks based on client materials. Delivered marketing pitches to C-suite members of 20+ very large corporate clients.Developed valuations as well as created and analyzed financial models , and conducted financing, comparative, and pro forma analyses .Performed precedent transaction analyses in Excel .
Key achievements:
Assisted and supported a deal team on a successful $3.5B acquisition of a public company by a large private equity firm.Thanks to exceptional judgment and relationship-building skills, built a network of 50+ trusted internal and external contacts
Now—
Go through your investment banking analyst resume bullets one by one. Take away all the extra information, leave the essence.
The list you’re left with should look something like this:
Investment Banking Skills—List
Communication (incl. rapport building) Transactional experience Presenting MS Power Point Public speaking Valuation Qualitative analysis (e.g. market analysis) Quantitative analysis (e.g. financial analysis) MS Excel Networking
This list is pretty impressive and what’s more—
It’s entirely based off of your own job description!
What you can do now is put those skills in a separate key skills section on your “Wall Street” resume.
A couple of things happen here:
First, your key investment banking skills section is not taken out of thin air. Second, it lists only the skills relevant to the position you’re applying for. Third, you can easily prove each skill by referring it straight to your investment banking experience bullets.
All this will come in handy in an interview when you’re expected to back everything you put on your resume up.
Remember:
In the world of investment banking, irrelevance is not just unwelcome. It’s penalized.
To communicate your investment banking skills in a powerful way, make sure to:
Sprinkle the relevant skills throughout your banking resume. The experience section is the best place to start off with.Draw more attention to your investment banking skills by putting them in a separate key skills section.
The investment banking resume sample at the top of the page may serve you as a guide.
If you’re still not sure what investment banking skills you could put on your resume, head straight to: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume
5
Is Your Education Section Subprime? It Might Be
Seriously—
If you’re having second thoughts about your educational background, you probably don’t know much about investment banking at all.
If you’re fresh out of college, just know that serious investment banking is a straight A students’ game. And you’re not supposed to have graduated from just any college.
Plus—
Your GPA is of paramount importance. And so are the courses you took.
Investment Banking Sample—Education
right Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH—2016
Economics, BA
GPA: 3.95
Coursework:
Econometrics (incl. training in STATA) Competition and strategy Games and economic behavior The economics of financial intermediaries and markets Political economy of China
Extracurricular activities:
Dartmouth Quant Traders, Member
Obviously, as you move up the career ladder, the weight of your GPA and courses gives way to your real life experience.
An experienced investment banking resume education section would be limited to the names of schools you graduated from.
Experienced Investment Banking Associate Resume Sample—Education
right Tuck School of Business, Hanover, NH—2014
Master of Business Administration
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH—2012
Economics, BA
If you hold relevant finance certifications, such as FINRA licenses (Series 7, etc.), Bloomberg certification, etc., make sure you list them in a separate section of your investment banking resume.
Investment Banking Resume—Finance Certifications
2018—FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses 2018—Bloomberg BMC 2017—CFA Certification 2016—Financial Modeling Certification
Still unsure how to prepare the education section of your investment banking resume? Find the answer here:How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]
6
No One Adds a Hobbies Section, But It Works so Well
Talking about hobbies on a resume can be hit-or-miss.
We’ll show you how to hit it out of the ballpark.
Here’s the thing:
Your hobbies and interests do matter, especially when you’re a fresher.
Yes, you should have a keen interest in finance. But don’t put that in the hobbies section.
Use the hobbies section to talk about things that would show you’re a cultural fit. Look up the company you’re applying to and find out what they enjoy doing.
Share those interests?
Great, you’re a match!
But don’t try to blend in at all cost. Pick things you’re passionate about that could also become a conversation starter for the interview.
You’ll be spending 90+ hours a week at work. If you’re a bore, no one will want to work with you.
It’s this simple.
Not sure what hobbies to put on your investment banking resume? Head straight to: 20+ Best Examples of Hobbies & Interests to Put on a Resume
7
How About an Investment Banking Cover Letter?
In the language of money, numbers speak louder than words.
And as an investment banker, you know the power of doubling.
Just as doubling a penny a day for 30 days will turn you into a millionaire, writing an investment banking cover letter will double your chances of landing an interview.
Why?
For one thing, cover letters still matter .
For another, an investment banking cover letter is hard evidence of your communication skills.
You can even go a step further, and mention them by name by making references to:
Your successful papers and speeches. Your work with clients to deepen the understanding of their needs. Difficult problems with a client, or deal you resolved thanks to your communication skills.
So don’t take your cover letter as read, and craft it meticulously.
Remember to make sure your resume cover letter for investment banking is:
relevant, to-the-point, well-organized, clearly written.
If you’re not really sure how or what to write, make a beeline for our guide on how to write a perfect cover letter in 8 simple steps.
Last, but not least—
You can write your cover letter in our builder.
And this is what it may look like:
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Also see: Investment Banking Cover Letter (Template & Guide)
Key Takeaway
Investment banking is a highly competitive field. Even though there are a plethora of qualified candidates, only a select few will ever make it.
That’s why it’s so important to craft your investment banking resume down to the last detail.
The best investment banking resume must:
Have an easily scannable layout. Begin with a strong objective or summary. Offer a powerful job description section. Show off your skills required for the position. Present relevant details in the education section (if you’re a fresher.) Be accompanied by a winning cover letter.
Have you been writing an investment banking resume for the first time? Or maybe you’re an investment banking pro eager to help the young guns out? We’d love to hear from you. Give us a shout out in the comments below!
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