Investment Banking Resume Sample, Job Description & Writing Guide for 2024
Landing an investment banking job can lead to great pay and benefits. However, this is a challenging position where only the best come out on top. You need to make an impact to get the role instead of one of dozens of other applicants. However, once you do, it can be life-changing and well worth all your effort.
So what’s the best way to position yourself for this lucrative position? You need an investment banking resume that looks like a million bucks. It has to have all the required information while showing how well you’d excel if you were given the chance. Everything from the writing style to the format you use matters when the stakes are so high.
For some people, this can be an intimidating prospect. After all, how do you ensure your resume stands out from the pack? Don’t worry. There are all sorts of tricks you can use to ensure the hiring manager takes an extra few minutes to read your resume. Anyone can do it. This guide is here to help you make that great impression you need.
This guide will help you learn to create a resume that is better than most of the other ones that are sent in with applications. If you follow the steps we share, you’ll be more likely to get an interview and move forward. In addition to sharing information about the process, we’ll also give you an example resume to base yours on. So let’s get started!
Investment banking resume writing guide: Where to start?
Creating the perfect resume is about more than sharing your job experience in the industry. We recommend a two-stage approach to creating an excellent investment banking resume. First, you’ll create a master resume (or update the one you have) and then you’ll build the job-specific resume that you turn in with your application. We’ll share all the details of both stages below.
Master resume for investment banking
You want an investment banking position and maybe you already have tons of deal experience. Before you start building a resume for the specific job you want, you should create a master resume. This is a document where you compile all the details you might use in job-specific resumes. Jot down information about past positions, skills, education, and other things that relate to employment.
Since this document is solely for you, you can keep it as a digital file, save it in a notebook, or choose another format that works for you. A Word document tends to be a good choice since you can easily copy and paste information from the master resume into the one you turn in for the job you want. However, it’s up to you how you want to do things. The important thing is to keep all this information somewhere.
One of the reasons a master resume is so useful is because it prevents you from forgetting important things. You won’t have to wrack your brain to remember your dates of employment or what projects you worked on at a specific company. It’s all right there for you to use as you need for this application or the ones you might fill out in the future.
For those who already have a master resume, you have less work to do at this stage of the process. You do want to open it up and make sure it’s been updated. Add any positions that aren’t there, update skills, and otherwise make sure things are in order. Once you’ve done that, you can move on to stage two.
Job-specific IB resumes
Now that the master resume is ready, you can create a job-specific resume. Rather than being for only you, this is the resume you’ll turn in with your application. As such, there are more factors to consider. Sure, you should share your professional experience and talk about leadership positions, but you also need to be sure the resume looks good when you’re finished.
One of the major differences between the master and job-specific resumes is that the latter should be highly customized for the position. You need to have the job description on hand so you can pull information from it and use it in your resume. Keywords and phrases are an essential aspect of modern resumes and not considering them can lead to never moving forward, even if you’re a good fit.
When you choose keywords from the job description, you indicate that you understand what the job is about and have the skills associated with it. But this isn’t the only reason that you want to pay attention to the advertisement (and the company website). Applicant tracking systems are tools used to look at resumes. If you don’t include relevant words, a human may never see your resume.
Once you have the resume written, it also needs to look great. Things like templates can help with this process. You want someone to be impressed when they look at your resume, as this will more likely lead to them reading it. Factoring in appearance and aesthetics is something required for job-specific resumes to get the best results.
Investment banking resume example
There are hundreds of investment banking sample resumes on the Internet. It can take a lot of time and effort to look over them. Our sample investment banking resume is all you need to craft a document that you can be confident about. This resume provides lots of detail about the applicant’s achievements and shares all the other crucial information an employer expects. You can visit the link to get a copy and use it as a guide during the resume creation process.
What to include in an investment banker resume? Writing tips and examples
It doesn’t matter if you’re building an investment banking intern resume or an experienced investment banking resume – the same sections are needed in both. Potential clients and employers want to see information about your experience, education, skills, and more. In the next part of this guide, we’ll share some tips on building some of these sections so they stand out to employers.
How to write a resume objective for an investment banking resume
The absolute first part of the resume that a hiring manager or recruiter will look at on an investment banking resume is the resume objective. Job seekers need to be very selective about how they share the information in this part of the resume. It doesn’t make things easier that the section should be no more than four sentences long, regardless of whether you’re a senior banker or seeking an entry-level associate position.
So what is the resume objective exactly? It’s a short paragraph at the very top of your resume where you give the most compelling information about yourself. In a few sentences, you want to share your career objectives, prove you have a track record of excellence, and explain why you’re a good fit for the position. If you find that a bit overwhelming, you aren’t the only one.
However, this doesn’t have to be as challenging as it might seem. If you are new to the industry, you want to write at least two sentences about why you’d be great in the position. Those with more experience can spend those same lines to summarize their experience. No matter which situation is yours, it isn’t enough to be generic. You need to stand out.
Because you want to impress, every word matters in the resume objective. Express your biggest accomplishments using numbers and action verbs. Explain how you’ve improved the workplace in past positions and what you plan to do if you’re hired. You can weave in skills and education in this section, as well. Just make sure it’s all related to the position you hope to be hired for.
Skills to list on an investment banking resume
The next section to focus on for an investment banking CV is a list of skills. Investment banking skills on a resume can range from analytical skills and technical skills to transferable skills and soft skills. The most important thing to keep in mind is that all your entries should be relevant skills. If they don’t relate to the job posting, you’re better off choosing other items to focus on.
As with the resume objective, this list of skills should be tailored to the position you want. Look at the job description to determine what the employer wants and choose skills that relate to that. There’s no point in including skills that won’t be used in the position. You can include skills that aren’t explicitly listed, however, if you know they’re useful.
Both hard skills and soft skills should be included in your list. Maybe you prefer the analytics and project management side of the position. Perhaps you excel at communication instead. Showing you can handle both aspects of the position is a must. Employers want to bring on a well-rounded employee who can be trusted to do any part of the job.
While every resume will have a different set of skills, there are several that you’ll find on many investment banking resumes. Below you can see a few examples. Use them to brainstorm and come up with the best additions to your document.
· Financial modeling
· Commercial banking
· Time management
· Strong communication skills
· Economics
· Finance
· Mathematics
· Analytics
· Self-discipline
· Creativity
· Open-mindedness
· Relationship building
· Teamwork
· Project management
How to include work experience on an investment banking resume
Any investment banking analyst resume needs to include relevant work experience. Whatever work you’ve done in the past is likely to have some similarities to the new position, even if you weren’t in finance in the past. You need to find ties to your previous experience so you can show you’d be a great addition to the team. This may take creativity for those who have less traditional relevant experience.
If you’re a college student in a finance major, you might have experience from that. Undergraduate students can use an investment banking internship on the resume. Volunteer experiences are also a good choice for those who may have limited professional experience. The same applies to those moving to a new industry. Choose aspects of your old jobs that match the new one and focus on those.
As you create the work experience section, make sure you include all the details. First, make a header that has the employer's name, dates of employment, and what your role was at the company. The blank space under this can be used to create a bullet list that explains your tasks and achievements in each position. Accomplishments are going to make a larger impression than a simple list of the things you did at a job.
Once you get all your sections complete, you’re close to having a document you can turn in. One of the best methods to get the job is by making sure your resume is better than the rest. You can use an investment banking resume template from CVMaker to ensure your document looks professional and has aesthetic appeal. We offer several options so choose the one you like best.
Key takeaways on building professional investment banking resumes
At this point, you’re ready to create a resume that helps you get a job in investment banking with private equity firms or other employers. Use our example resume and tips to make sure you turn in a document you can be proud of. Remember that the more you customize your resume, the better your chances are of getting an interview. Good luck!
Extra tips for excellent investment banker resumes:
Now that you have insight into how to build an investment banking resume, as well as tips on the most crucial sections, you’re almost to the finish line. However, use the tips below to complete the document and get your application in.
· Always read through your resume after you’ve finished writing it. Check for typos and look for words that might be spelled wrong. Using a tool like Grammarly can make this process quick and simple.
· While you can create a resume on your own in Word or a similar program, a resume builder may make the process easier. After you complete the document, convert it into a PDF before you finish your application.
· Check the flow of your document to make sure it’s easy to read and understand. For some people, reading the resume aloud is a good way to do this.
· Ensure the most important sections are all included in your investment banking resume. This includes skills, education, experience, a resume objective, and contact information.
· Make sure that all information in the resume is correct and easily proven. Anything you include could be brought up during an interview so be prepared for that.
Next steps?
Everyone who wants a position in investment banking needs a resume. It takes more than something generic to get the best jobs. If you’re hoping for some help to create the perfect resume, CVMaker is here to help you. The experts who offer our Resume Writing Service can help you with whichever parts of the process you are struggling with.
FAQs
What should be included in an investment banker resume?
An investment banker resume is broken down into sections. Some of them are expected to be there and others can be added if you have something relevant to share. The sections that you should always include are contact information, a resume objective, skills, education, and experience.
Once you have the crucial elements taken care of, you can fill the space with other things that will be useful to a hiring manager. Anything from languages to certifications or hobbies and interests can be a good addition to an investment banker resume. Consider what will make you stand out and include it in your document.
How do I make an investment banking resume with no experience?
If you’re looking for an entry-level position in investment banking, you may wish to focus less on experience in the field. Those who have recently completed college can highlight their experiences by adding things like GPA, honors, and other achievements related to the work they hope to do.
In all, an investment banking associate resume for someone new to the field isn’t that different from one for an individual with experience. You want the same kinds of information as anyone else. You can move things around as needed and don’t forget that volunteer experiences and internships can be used as experience as needed.
How should I put investment banking experience on a resume?
Those who have experience will want to list each job position on their resume. The basic information you want to include is the employer's name, employer location, role at the company, and dates of employment. However, you don’t want to stop with the basics. Use the space under these details to expand on what you did in the position.
Investment banking resume bullets can be used to have short sentences about your duties and achievements. Focus on the most impressive things you did as long as they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for. Duties are fine to list but show how you did things well and created positive change for past companies.
What format is best for investment banking resumes?
There are going to be varying formats for investment banking resumes. However, in general, you want your contact information and resume objective at the top of the document. The way you structure the experience, skills, and education is up to you. The most common way puts experience at the top.
You also need to consider things like font, font size, colors, and more when creating a resume. Everything should be professional and simple to read. Going with more than two colors or fonts isn’t recommended as it can make the document overwhelming to look at and read.
How many pages should an investment banking CV be?
The average CV for investment banking is going to range from one to two pages. Most of the examples you’ll see online are only a single page but going longer is fine. However, anything past two pages is going to be a bit too lengthy. You want to make sure a hiring manager reads the entire document. The longer it is, the less likely that occurs.
A good rule of thumb is that those who are new to the profession should stick with a one-page resume. Anyone with a decade or more of experience can go up to two pages. However, this isn’t mandatory. As long as you have enough relevant information, two pages are fine. Otherwise, keep it brief so it’s quicker to read.
How do I make my resume stand out for investment banking?
Having investment banking experience on a resume can get you in the door, but how do you make sure your document stands out? There are all sorts of ways. Making sure your resume is free of errors and has an attractive aesthetic are two of the most common methods. Ensuring the resume objective is compelling can also go a long way.
Customizing your resume for a specific job is probably the best way to stand out from other job seekers. Show that you understand what an employer wants and intend to provide that to them. Using the entire document to make that point can give you an edge over other applicants.
You have all the information you need to create an excellent investment banking resume. However, there’s still one more step. You need to make sure it looks good and commands attention. All you have to do is choose an IB resume template from CVMaker. There are several options and each of them can be customized in multiple colors.