Investment Banking Resume
So you’re trying to break into investment banking, huh? You probably already know it’s insanely competitive. Banks get flooded with resumes, and most of them end up tossed aside before anyone gets past the name. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. You just need to know how to stand out.
What Actually Matters on Your Resume
Here’s the truth: investment banks want to see two things right off the bat, your education and your experience. If you’ve got a degree from a top school, make sure it’s front and center. Don’t bury it at the bottom of your resume, hoping they’ll dig for it. Same goes for internships. If you’ve worked at another bank or in a related field, that’s gold. Put those details in a spot that’s impossible to miss.
One more thing about experience. If your internships involved actual financial analysis or dealing with clients, spell it out. Too many people just write “Intern at XYZ Bank” like it’s supposed to speak for itself. Show what you did, briefly but clearly. If you helped analyze portfolios, say that. If you worked on presentations for investors, highlight it. They don’t want vague stuff. They want specifics.
Stop Wasting Space
There’s this bad habit people have with investment banking resumes, they try to overfill them with fluff. Your hobbies? Leave them off. High school awards? Nope. Anything that doesn’t directly relate to banking? Cut it. Think of your resume like real estate. Every single word needs to earn its spot.
Also, don’t go crazy with design. Fancy templates with borders and colors might look cool to you, but they’re not what banks want. Stick to clean, simple formatting. Black text, white background, no frills. It’s boring, but it works.
The GPA Question
Should you put your GPA on your resume? If it’s above a 3. 5, absolutely. If it’s lower than that, skip it unless they specifically ask for it. Investment banking recruiters know exactly what they’re looking for, strong academics, relevant experience, and clear skills. Below a 3. 5, you risk raising eyebrows, so it’s better to leave it off and focus on what you bring to the table.
Show Some Numbers
Investment bankers love numbers, so don’t forget to include them. If you worked on a project that saved money, increased revenue, or had measurable results, put those figures in. For example, “Analyzed a portfolio worth $30 million” or “Supported a team that closed deals totaling $15 million. ” Numbers make your resume pop and show that you understand the importance of measurable outcomes.
Don’t Skip Proofreading
This seems obvious, but I still see people mess it up all the time. Investment banking is detail-oriented. If your resume has typos, weird spacing, or inconsistent formatting, it’s like waving a red flag that says, "I’m sloppy. " Read it over five times if you have to. Better yet, get someone else to check it. Fresh eyes catch things you might miss.
Is One Page Enough?
Yes. Seriously, yes. Keep it to one page. I don’t care if you’ve got ten internships and four degrees. If your resume spills onto a second page, it’s too long. Recruiters are skimming, not reading novels. One page forces you to focus on what really matters. If your resume looks crowded, you’re trying to include too much.
The Part Nobody Tells You About
Here’s something a lot of people miss, networking matters as much as your resume. You can have the perfect CV, but if nobody’s opening the file, what good does it do? Start reaching out to people in the industry. Use LinkedIn, alumni networks, whatever you’ve got. The more connections you make, the higher the chance your resume actually gets looked at.
Getting into investment banking isn’t easy. It’s a grind, and your resume is only one piece of the puzzle. But if you follow this advice, you’ll at least have something worth reading when it lands on a recruiter’s desk.