Private Equity Resume: Examples and Guide [10+ Tips]

To show you’re Carlyle-Group-ready, you need a private equity resume that works like the S&P 500. But it doesn’t work by talking about past responsibilities.

Both Warren Buffett and the bottom feeders in small-town financial planning firms can say they’ve “handled investment accounts.” You’ve got to show how much, how big, how many. Follow the steps below, and make your job line go up.

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Sample Private Equity Resume Template

Here’s how to write your own job-winning private equity resume:

1. Format Your Private Equity Resume Correctly

Oh no! You’ve got the best resume for private equity jobs on the street, but they tossed it. What went wrong? You didn’t use a good resume layout. Your margins, font choice, line spacing, and headings looked like a 5th-grader selected them. This part is easy to get right, but blow it and you’re sunk.

To start off with the best format for a resume:

• Choose the chronological resume template unless you’re a career changer or you’ve got big resume gaps. It’s the best of the resume types for most.
• Make a professional resume header with the right personal information.
• Use one of the best fonts for resume like Times New Roman or Calibri. Then set the size at 10 to 12 points.
• Use a modern resume template, but don’t go too fancy. Your resume needs to be easy to read in the first place.
• How long should resumes be for private equity? If you’ve got 6+ years of experience, you can stretch it to 2 or 3 pages. Otherwise, stick with one.
• The right name for a resume file is “Name - Job Title - Resume.pdf”

Read more: What Parts Should a Resume Have?

2. Grab Employers With a Resume Profile Statement

Success! You got the job. The first thing you did right? You wrote a resume introduction that got them interested in your resume. That’s vital, because most hiring teams don’t read resumes. They skim them.

If you’re new to private equity, write a resume objective statement. That’s where you share your hopes and dreams for how you’ll help the organization’s bottom line.

If you’ve been in the business since Wall Street had three e’s, write a resume summary statement. Stuff it with your finest PE moments, plus a nod to your years of experience and a company or two you’ve worked for.

Read more: Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out

3. Target Your Private Equity Resume Job Description

Disaster! Your resume for private equity jobs is getting zero response. Why the nosedive? Because you spend too much space talking about your job responsibilities. You didn’t show your ROI or other metrics. To get the interview, put numbers and equity achievements in your job description.

List relevant work experience like this:

• Start with your most recent PE job.
• Write the job title, name of the business, its location, and the months and years you worked there.
• Tailoring a resume to a job is everything in the job search world. That comes down to choosing the right professional achievements for your bullet points.
• Make sure to use strong resume words to describe what you did. Collaborated, developed, and sourced work better than handled or performed.

Read more: How Far Back Should a Resume Go?

4. Write a Different Kind of Private Equity Resume Education Section 

Do you think education on your resume doesn’t matter? Think again. No, you don’t need a PhD to get the job. But the way you list your BS or Master’s makes a world of difference. To stand out like Bain Capital, put a couple of university accomplishments in your resume for private equity jobs.

Follow these resume tips:

• List your school’s name first, then your degree and graduation date.
• Add relevant coursework like classes in financial analysis or computer science.
• You can also add outstanding academic honors or awards, or clubs or groups.
• You don’t need a GPA on a resume unless it was staggeringly high.

Pro Tip: Private equity firms raised $582 billion in 2018. Your resume for private equity jobs needs to show you can participate in reaping massive returns. 

5. Prove the Right Private Equity Skills

Most applicants stumble when they write their list of skills. They add too many PE skills, hoping the firm will see the few they really like. This is too big a choice to leave to chance. But if you put the right skills in your list and in your resume bullet points, your interview count will skyrocket.

Here's how to add private equity skills to a resume:

• Read the job ad like it’s got the secret to triple-digit returns in it. Find the most prominent skills in it, and write them down.
• Take the most important 10 or 12 skills from that list. Make sure to include both soft and hard skills, and your top technical skills.
• Go back to the bullet points in your education section and your work history. Do your bullets prove you’ve used those skills? If not, remodel them.

Private Equity Resume Skills

• Financial modeling
• Investment banking
• Financial analysis
• Finance
• Economics
• Investment thesis evaluation
• MS Excel
• Database management
• Big data analysis
• Presentation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Time management skills
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Decision-making skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills
• Computer skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Conceptual skills
• Teamwork skills

Pro Tip: The right resume keywords will get you through the applicant tracking system (ATS) to a live interviewer. That’s why choosing the right private equity skills is so important.

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6. Add Other Sections to Your Private Equity Resume

What kind of employee are you? Showing achievements from outside of work can help your resume stand out.

Here’s how to put certifications on a resume, along with other extras:

• If you have a CFA or CAIA certification, feature it in a special section near the bottom.
• Adding volunteer work to a resume can help you catch the company’s eye.
• Resume publications are one more way to stand above the crowd. 

Read more: What Sections Belong in a Resume?

7. Write a Cover Letter for Your Private Equity Resume

Should I write a cover letter? Each and every time. The reason is, the job market is overwhelmed with applicants who apply to hundreds of positions. A resume without a cover letter looks like just another in a sea of applications. Personalize yourself with the right kind of cover letter.

Write these cover letter parts:

• A first paragraph with a notice-worthy cover letter introduction.
• A second paragraph that points to the most John-Neff-level achievements in your resume.
• A cover letter ending that explains what makes you want to work at the business and an offer to meet with the manager.

How long should an electronic cover letter be? The same length as a paper cover letter—three paragraphs and about 250 words.

Pro Tip: Wondering how to write a follow-up email for a job application? Make it short and to the point, and attach your resume and cover letter. Follow-ups pull you up out of the slush.

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. Here's what it may look like:

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That’s it!

That’s everything you need to write a great private equity resume!

And if you're looking for a similar position, see our guides:

• Accounts Payable (AP) Resume
• Accounts Receivable (AR) Resume
• Accounting Resume

• Banking Resume
• Bank Manager Resume
• Certified Public Accountant / CPA Resume
• Chief Financial Officer Resume
• Loan Officer Resume
• Loan Processor Resume
• Internal Auditor Resume
• Controller Resume
• Credit Analyst Resume

Thanks for reading! Do you have another question on how to make a standout private equity resume? Give us a shout in the comments section!

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Sources

• https://caia.org/