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I kept getting questions about an investment banking associate resume template, and I figured we should finish up that series of investment banking resume templates and video tutorials – so here it is.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to craft your resume if you’re at the MBA level, if you’ve been working full-time, or if you’ve had extensive transaction experience.
Actually, it’s even easier than that: you don’t need to “craft” anything. You just need to copy these templates and modify them slightly.
Don’t you wish you found this site earlier?
Refresher – University Student Template
In case you missed it, here were the major points with the university student investment banking resume template:
- 3 sections: Education; Work & Leadership Experience; and Skills, Activities & Interests
- Focus on 2-4 key work/leadership experiences rather than taking a laundry list approach.
- Use either a project-centric or task-centric format for each work experience entry.
- Include a summary sentence for each entry, and make sure your other bullets include the specifics followed by the results.
These points apply to any investment banking resume, no matter what level you’re applying for – you just need to make a few tweaks.
Investment Banking Associate Resume Templates, the Video, and the Tutorial
Here’s the overview video, which covers all 3 of the templates we’re looking at here:
(For more free training and financial modeling videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.)
And if you just want to read instead, here’s the same tutorial in textual form. We’ll go through each of these 3 templates and point out how they differ from the ones we looked at before.
MBA-Level Investment Banking Resume Template [Download]
Just like the university student template, Education is at the top.
This time, however, it’s greatly condensed – just list your business school and undergraduate name, degree titles, and graduation dates. You don’t need GPA/SAT scores unless the bank specifically asks for them.
Similarly, forget about activities / honors and other trivia and just give them the names and dates.
Work Experience
The Work Experience section should be very similar to the university student template.
The differences:
- Avoid student activities / volunteer work unless that was your “full-time work experience” – e.g. you did Teach for America for 2 years.
- Still pick 2-3 work experiences to focus on, but these should be full-time jobs rather than internships.
- Focus on the most recent 5 years of work experience. If you have more than this maybe extend it to 10 but only do that if it’s relevant – e.g. you were a trader in a former life.
You still need to use a project-centric or task-centric format for each entry and focus on business results as much as possible.
But you should think about 2 additional points if you’re at the MBA-level:
- Leadership is more important than it is for undergraduates or recent graduates, because you’ll need to manage Analysts and prevent them from screwing up.
- Client Management skills are also important. So hopefully you were a male escort in Tokyo in a former life, or you can point to some other hands-on experience.
When you enter at the Associate level, banks start grooming you to win clients and bring in revenue one day – so you need to convince them you’re more of a “leader” than an Analyst might.
Exceptions & Special Cases
If you’ve done some type of pre-MBA program related to finance – interning at a boutique, a PE firm, etc. – and the rest of your work experience is in a different field, you should definitely make this prominent, even if it only lasted a few months.
It’s not lying – it’s changing the focus. Spin 101.
If you’ve only had 1 full-time job before business school, just list your last major internship briefly, below the full-time entry, and write 1-2 bullets about it. A work experience section with only 1 large entry looks odd.
What Skills, Activities & Interests?
This section becomes increasingly irrelevant the more experienced you are. You can still include it at the MBA-level, but keep it short and feel free to drop it.
Full-Time Investment Banking Resume Template [Download]
This is almost exactly the same template as the MBA-level one – the only difference is that your Education section can be even shorter and it should be below Work Experience if you’re not currently a student.
Consider removing the last section as well.
Always pick 2-3 key work experience entries over past 5-10 years unless you’re a C-level executive with a 20+ year-long track record, or you have a lot of transaction experience – which leads us into the next section.
Experienced Investment Banker / Private Equity / Hedge Fund Financier
Experienced Investment Banker Resume Template [Download]
The Disclaimer – Read This First
Only use this template if you’re an experienced Associate, VP, or beyond that, and you have dozens of transactions to write about.
If you use this as a sophomore in college, it’s your fault. You will look stupid and not get any interviews.
What’s Different This Time?
This one is still similar to both the university student resume template and the investment banker resume template – with one key difference:
Rather than going into detail on all your clients and deals on the first page, you make a separate page or set of pages for your “Transaction Experience” and follow the same format there.
As with the templates above, Skills, Activities & Interests can be dropped and the Education section should be greatly condensed.
Each entry should consist of a summary sentence and 2-3 others that capture the main highlights from each experience – working with clients, management teams, bringing in business if you’re more senior, or doing analytical work for junior-level entries.
This person is showing more “leadership” at each level by writing about how he/she managed Analysts and Associates, and also highlighting more sourcing and business development at higher levels.
As you move up, investment banking becomes a pure Sales job, so your resume should reflect this.
It’s good to list “Notable Transactions” so that anyone can tell what he’s done at a glance without going to the second page.
Transaction Page
This should follow the chronological order and format of the first page.
The language here is not much different from the Analyst/Associate investment banker resume template – the person still discusses valuation/modeling work and his/her impact on the deal process.
But the focus is different at each level:
- Analyst – More analytical and valuation/modeling-focused, since that’s what Analysts do. Well, that and fix broken printers…
- Associate – The focus shifts to managing the Analysts, working with clients, and making presentations. Associates still do quantitative work, but it’s more advanced – think LBO models rather than going through SEC filings looking for non-recurring items.
- VP – He/she focuses more on pitching clients to potential buyers and executing the deal.
What About for Private Equity and Hedge Funds?
Not much is different – if you have an extensive transaction / investment list, you should still list it on a separate page.
Just flip around the language and write about “investments” and “potential investments” as opposed to “deals.”
For the first page, write about your efforts sourcing investment ideas rather than potential clients.
It can be near-impossible to come up with concrete “results” on the buy-side because of the time frame – it might take years for a firm to exit a particular investment.
So don’t feel pressured to always have tangible “results.”
What Next?
Use these templates – just make sure you’ve read the disclaimers first.
You don’t need to follow the exact format and language here – these are intended to give you ideas and guide you in the right direction.
As always, if you’re paranoid about having the same-looking resume as everyone else, just change the font, font size, or other formatting to make it look different.
Up Next
You should now know 95% of what you need to craft your resume copy these templates and use them for your own purposes, from the Analyst-level to VP-level and up.
I may cover examples of specific bullets / language you would use for different industries (marketing, accounting, wealth management, etc.) and do a few “resume makeovers” in coming months.
Any questions?
Still Need More Help?
Introducing: Premium Investment Banking-Specific Resume/CV and Cover Letter Editing Services
We will take your existing resume and transform it into a resume that grabs the attention of finance industry professionals and presents you and your experience in the best possible light.
When we’re done, your resume will grab bankers by the lapels and not let them go until they’ve given you an interview.
Specifically, here’s what you’ll get:
- Detailed, line-by-line editing of your resume/CV – Everything that needs to be changed will be changed. No detail is ignored.
- Your experience will be “bankified” regardless of whether you’ve been a student, a researcher, a marketer, a financier, a lawyer, an accountant, or anything else.
- Optimal structuring – You’ll learn where everything from Education to Work Experience to Activities should go. Regional badminton champion? Stamp collector? You’ll find out where those should go, too.
- The 3-point structure to use for all your “Work Experience” entries: simple, but highly effective at getting the attention of bankers.
- How to spin non-finance experience into sounding like you’ve been investing your own portfolio since age 12.
- How to make business-related experience, such as consulting, law, and accounting, sounds like “deal work.”
- How to avoid the fatal resume mistake that gets you automatically rejected. Nothing hurts more than making a simple oversight that gets you an immediate “ding”.
- We only work with a limited number of clients each month. In fact, we purposely turn down potential clients in cases where we cannot add much value. We prefer quality over quantity, and we always want to ensure that we can work well together first.
About the Author
Brian DeChesare is the Founder of Mergers & Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street. In his spare time, he enjoys lifting weights, running, traveling, obsessively watching TV shows, and defeating Sauron.
Free Exclusive Report: 57-page guide with the action plan you need to break into investment banking - how to tell your story, network, craft a winning resume, and dominate your interviews
Comments
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Hi Brian, Thanks for the template, highly appreciate it.
After nearly 2.5 years as an M&A Analyst (Europe, Mid-Market), I only have two successfull transaction so far (a buy-side and a bilateral transaction). However, I have quite a nice list of buy-sides (6) where our client ended up as a runner-up and I also have 3 stranded sell-sides that were pulled just before entering the market.
So my question would be, can I write about those buy-side mandates I worked on and where my client (without disclosing its name) ended up as a “runner up”/came close but just lost at the end? e.g. “Advisor to the runner-up during the sale process of [Asset X/Company Y] (EV: c.[x])”. Or is this an absolute no go?
Would use the CV to apply at a BB or mid-market PE.
Thanks in advance!
Yes. But I wouldn’t write in detail about every single failed M&A deal – maybe pick the best 2-3 to expand on and use less detail for the others.
Hi Brian,
I was trying to contact through the “contact me” form on your coaching service page for some personal questions. But I can not send the inquiry. Can you please suggest how I can get in touch please?
Thanks
I just tried the contact form, and it seemed to work, but if it’s still not working for you, please send a message to coaching@mergersandinquisitions.com
Thanks Brian. Sent. Addressed to Nicole.
For the transaction page – do you think it makes sense to just list all transactions that one has worked on instead of highlighting a few?
A senior associate / junior VP should’ve worked on way more deals than what’s included in the template, and major transactions can be highlighted in the resume (first page) anyway
I don’t think it really matters, but you are taking a risk if you list every single transaction because they could ask you anything about any of them. If you limit the set of transactions to the ones you know best, you can answer interview questions more easily.
Hi,
I have a question am graduating in May 2021 with MBA focus in finance. I’m interested in moving to investment banking . My previous work experience (accounting) is not in banking and am wondering how I can write my resume to apply for Associate program Investment banking Associate. Please advise how I can tailor the resume
I would recommend using some of the tips in these articles:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/breaking-into-investment-banking-accountant/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/audit-to-investment-banking/
Thanks for this post. I’m a seasoned sales and marketing professional with diverse client facing experience across the Consumer Goods and Financial Industries with big ticket multinationals. I’m currently looking at transitioning to a IB role with a PE Focus. How do you recommend i execute my job search? Would you recommend writing the CFAs as another way of breaking into this field? I’d appreciate your feedback. Thank you
I would start by reading this article: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/how-to-get-into-investment-banking/
Because you probably don’t have a realistic path into IB without completing an MBA first. And if you already have something like 10-15+ years of experience, it may not even be possible with an MBA.
Hi Brian,
I received a ~50% scholarship for university, which I graduated from about 6 months back. If I am now looking for IB roles, do you think I should still include that on my resume?
Yes.
Makes sense, what about cum laude honors?
You can include whatever you want as long as it fits, but the real question to ask yourself is, “Does thinking about this or asking someone on the internet improve my chances of winning a job offer?” And the usual answer is no. Focus on your current work experience, networking, and be prepared to wait if hiring remains frozen for months.
Hello,
I have 2 years and 7 months of work experience, in customer services & mobile banking and research at financial services company. How to tailor my CV to match investment banking. Also have an MBA degree in finance & banking.
Thank you and regards,
I can’t really say without knowing what you did in those roles, but you should try to position each project as some type of client interaction or business advisory where your actions led to higher revenue, more market share, or something like that.
Which is the best for applying to lateral analyst positions?
The Full-Time Investment Banking Resume Template
Hi,
I had an equity research summer internship last summer, and I wonder if I am able to tweak the below responsibilities in my CV:
1) I was responsible for translating a research article on a national airline written by a senior analyst. To properly translate it, I read several research articles in the aviation industry and discussed with the analyst to learn about the source of articles she used to write the research piece. Therefore, as I know all the source and how she constructed her research, should I tweak it and say in my CV:
Researched several articles in the aviation industry, contributing to the final research article on a world-leading airline
2) I partially updated and modified the 3 statement financial model and DCF model on an old excel financial model file of a leading construction group, in order to extend the forecast further in the future. I was instructed by an analyst on how to do that, I and was told by him how these models work. I wonder if I should tweak it and say in my CV:
Built 3 statement financial model and DCF model for a nation-leading construction group
Yes, those sound fine.
Really helpful article! Thanks!
Should I include a short summary in my CV if I will apply for a spring internship?
No.
I have a question regarding Investment Banking Analyst resume. I might have a potential entry into IB through networking but my background has been in Audit and Reporting (I am a CPA). I am trying to tailor my resume and am wondering which template to use.I have looked at quite a few templates including the ones on this website and was thinking of using something similar to the template in this article. What template would you recommend? I have been out of school for a while and I am experienced.
Then you should use this template. Really, the template doesn’t matter that much; the most important point is how you present your work experience and spin it to sound deal-related.
Hi,
I read in an old post that GPA is not needed on the resume if you have+2 years of experience when applying for senior analyst/associate roles in IB. Do you think that is still the case? (no MBA education)
Thx
At some level, GPA becomes less important. No one really cares about an MD’s GPA if he’s bringing in $10 billion deals on a regular basis. Two years into the job, GPA still matters to some extent, so you probably need to keep it.
Hi,
I am an economist (Ph.D.) who has been working in finance for the past three years. Mainly in risk (market, credit, etc.). I am interested in perusing a career in IB. As a career changer I would appreciate your advice given my background.
It will be almost impossible to get into IB from that background. See one of these ideas:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/too-old-for-finance/
Hello! I was just wondering about a gpa roundup question, I know there is an article on it, but wanted some more assurance.
I have a 3.48, is it okay to round this up to a 3.5?
At my institution the finance club and everyone seems to always tell me, NEVER round up or round GPA? Can you please provide me with your thoughts and what you think of this? Thanks!
Yes. If people claim that you cannot round up a 3.48 to a 3.5, these people have mental problems or are trying to sabotage you. If the bank wants your full transcript, let them ask for it… no one will spend more than 300 milliseconds thinking about why you rounded a 3.48 up to a 3.5.
Hi Brian,
I have been working in a financial consulting for past 8 years and have recently completed my law. Law had always been my forte and finance my passion. Now i want to break into M&A or IB. What kind of roles can I go for? And how do I approach this?
Cheers.
Please see:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/law-school-to-investment-banking/
Hi,
I have currently been working for the past 2years for one of the major oil and gas companies and now looking to move into the finance world. I am looking at utilising my experiencing of the industry to provide some technical expertise to aid investment decisions. I am unsure where to start looking ? Would you recommend that i undertake an MBA to pursue this career path?
You will most likely need a pre-MBA internship combined with an MBA to move in… or perhaps get lucky and find an equity research team or IB team that wants specialized industry expertise even if you don’t yet have an MBA:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/oil-gas-investment-banking/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-calgary/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/mba-investment-banking-recruiting-process/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/mba-investment-banking-recruiting-process/
Your best bet is to reach out to such teams and see if they want more of a finance background first.
Hi, I’m just wondering how should I include my intention to complete a MSc in Finance after my undergraduate degree on my CV?
I want to make it as clear as possible however, graduate schools have not released their offers yet and as a result I am lacking the info required to make it stand out.
As of now all I have is:
“Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I intend to complete an MSc in Finance in one of the EU’s leading universities”
Many thanks for your help.
Please see our response in the other article where you asked this same question (You shouldn’t list much of anything beyond your suggested sentence until you get admitted somewhere)
Hi Brian,
I have seen some of your videos and i have really enjoyed learning new things. I am currently in my final year of engineering from india and i wish to pursue a career in finance field. I have given few exams side by side and have undergone few courses in financial field. I would really like to seek your opinion on 2 things.
1. How should I present my resume for a financial firm as i am a fresher and with have only the basic knowledge of the field.
2. Does masters in finance require any prerequisites.
Thank You.
See: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-resume-no-work-experience/
Master’s in Finance programs usually just require an undergraduate degree and standardized test scores (usually the GRE, sometimes others)
Hi Brian,
I am currently a M&A analyst but we have not closed a single deal since i joined last year. The furthest in the M&A process was only to write an information memorandum. I have also did market research, company profiling, 2 pitchbooks, teasers, 1-2 models and several comps.
I would like to seek your opinion on how I should write my experience in my role as it seems sketchy.
Thanks,
YM
I’d just say something around the lines of “Conducted market research, drafted pitch books, prepared information memorandum, and built financial analyses such as [DCF, public comp]” I would not worry about not closing a single deal as long as you can talk about what you’ve done.
Brian, Nicole, Team,
First and foremost – thanks for your help in the past. Your prep materials had helped me land an EMEA IB internship with a bulge bracket bank in 2012 which I converted to a full time starting in 2014. Prior to IB, I did my MBA from a tier I European school.
After a year and a half, I am planning to pursue opportunities in buy-side (mid-cap PEs) driven by 1. ability to be able to work on more transactions (than pitches) and 2. improved work-life balance. My banking experience has been largely dominated by pitches so far and as I begin working on my resume to start applying, I would like to check,
1. How can I meaningfully present my pitching experience to an employer (if possible without boring them to death)
2. Can I provide references to transactions I am presently working on, which are not public, on a no-name basis
3. Is there a preference with employers between M&A and IPOs? My transaction experience (incl. ongoing) so far is only with IPOs
Another reason for moving to buy-side is that I also eventually hope to move on from a purely financial role to an operational role where I can help improve performance of portfolio companies. In your vast experience, is this something you have seen happening often? What impediments do you think I would face in achieving this objective.
Many thanks in advance,
BS
Thanks, glad to hear it.
1. Maybe position each pitch as a “pending deal” and describe the transaction rationale but act like the deal started and then never went anywhere. That sounds a bit better than just admitting they were pure pitches.
2. Yes, just describe the industry and give a rough revenue or market cap for each company.
3. For PE, M&A is definitely preferred. But if you have only IPOs, you’ll probably have to use at least 1-2 IPOs. But see if you can include M&A pitches and position them as “pending deals” as well.
Sometimes people move into operational roles, but companies will be skeptical if you’ve never had operating experience before, and they might not be sure what level to bring you in at… so you should try to get *some* type of operational experience, even if it’s informal/consulting-type work or advising a friend’s company or something, before you move.
Hi there!
Thanks for the insights and experience sharing. I am from Hong Kong and currently a dealer of both local securities and global futures. I have just over 8 years of experience in local securities and just around 6 months for global futures. Also I have over 10 years of trading my own stocks. My education background include a Master in Accountancy and MBA and studying for the CPA as well. My current job have some exposure in writing research reports (mainly daily market reviews) using Bloomberg and other channels. I am very much interested to become Equity Research Analyst. Your insights gives me some hints and it would be great if you can provide some more specific hits for my specific situation.
Thanks a lot and keep in touch =)
Alvin (BigAl)
Perhaps you can work in research for a boutique bank in HK? I think you have decent experience to reach out to people in the industry and see what opportunities are out there. There should be quite a few as certain banks maybe looking to build their HK/China research divisions, but I am not 100% sure
Thanks a lot for the template! I’m currently working in Audit (Big 4) in the UK and applying for Corporate Finance/Transaction Services jobs. Two questions:
– Is there a way to make audit work Project-centric? Before Big 4 I used to work as a Business Analyst and it’s quite easy to quantify what I did. I’m struggling with audit though beyond standard ‘carrying out audit from planning to completion’. Also, should I include something on the clients I’ve audited? I’m in asset Management, so I’ve worked on BlackRock, UBS etc but I’m not sure if I can mention them by name?
– where should I include accountancy qualification/CFA as a lot of CF job specifications mention it ( at least in the UK)
Thanks a lot!
1) Yes, you can just write about specific clients you worked with. But you’d have to pick more unusual engagements or ones where something out of the ordinary happened or they would ll look too similar. Yes, definitely mention clients you’ve audited and leave out the names if you write something sensitive about them.
2) If you have enough experience to list CFA after your name, list it at the top; otherwise include it in your section at the bottom on Skills and Interests.
Thanks a lot for your help Brian!
One more thing i just thought about – I was involved in the audit planning on a small client in my first year – this is something normally reserved for 2nd year and above but I’m guessing someone who’s never been involved in audit won’t know what the big deal is. Should I add short explanation? Perhaps in the brackets? e.g
– involved in the audit planning on XX engagement (normally reserved for 2nd year associates)
Thanks again,
Adam
Yes this can potentially help. I don’t think its necessary, but if you want to leave it on there it maybe useful
Hello, looking to break into IB from the S&T side (specifically FX sales). I can spin specific client examples into “deals,” but is it okay to actually mention the client’s name? Or do I just mention “Fortune 500 Company” then explain what I did? Thanks!
If it is not confidential yes you can include the client’s name.
Thanks for the article, very helpful indeed!
I’m looking to break into IB from a China angle.
British 22 year old, Business undergrad first class degree, no solid finance we, currently studying a masters in International Business in China (studying in Mandarin medium- conversationally fluent in Chinese Mandarin).
Any thoughts on how I could play my ‘China card’ to land a IB job?
Thanks
Are you looking to work in China, or somewhere else but leverage your experience there? If you want to work in mainland China, it will be very tough but this article may help:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/private-equity-china-foreigner-recruiting/
If you’re looking to work somewhere else such as HK, your knowledge of the language could be helpful but to be honest they’ll almost always prefer local candidates. So the best way to use that background is probably to return home and use it to sell yourself as “more interesting” and someone who can work with Chinese / other Asian investors interested in acquiring companies and assets in Europe.
Thanks for sharing valuable tips.
As a recent MBA graduate, I would like to know if it is advisable to include MBA finance & consulting projects in the resume because of the following reasons:
1. I do not have finance related pre-MBA internship
2. My professional experience is related to trade and investment development, with some degree of due diligence involved.
3. Since I have been working for a single company thus far, I do like to add variety and various experience to demonstrate the breadth of my skills and experience, in order to break into IB/PE or mgmt. consulting
I would greatly appreciate your input and feedback.
Thanks!
KSM
Yes I’d include such projects.
Hi, I am working as assistant controller for a Private Equity firm and interested in switching to deal side. I have no investment banking experience and my employer only hires experienced associates. Any suggestion how to convince my current employer to change my role or apply for positions at other PE or Transaction Advisory firms?
This article should help https://mergersandinquisitions.com/back-office-to-private-equity/
I may go back to a top business school. https://mergersandinquisitions.com/private-equity-recruiting/
*Favorite topic alert*
I saw the FAQ regarding (gulp) GPA rounding, but wanted someone to weigh in on more specific situation – have 1 more semester left, and given classes, GPA should easily be 3.5 (3.45+ then rounded) upon graduation. However, recruiting is before semester will end, and current GPA is 3.401. Would it be unethical/wrong/too risky to write GPA as 3.5?
Tough one. If you’re certain you’ll get a 3.5 I’d write Expected GPA: 3.5 For the application, you can still fill in 3.5 but it can be risky if they ask you for documentations at this stage. However I wouldn’t worry too much about it for now. A 3.5 may prevent you from getting dinged, though there’s a slight risk.
Thanks, Nicole. Wanted to update – just double-checked, and GPA is actually 3.41. A little closer to the 3.45 I need, may make it more acceptable to round. In my experience, few places ask for transcript to verify. Looking at only the banks that don’t request transcripts, they won’t verify GPA during background checks?
That depends. I can’t say. 0.1 isn’t a big difference so I wouldn’t worry too much about it, though there’s a risk this may come up.
Hi, With a BSc in computer science and a masters degree in IT with innovation and Management Studies, coupled with 3 years work experience in retail, IT and charity industry. How do u suggest i break into the technology section of an investment bank.
Also which particular CV type and Cover letter format do you advise I use because i noticed none of the ones you posted has an executive summary.
thank u.
I’d apply online and email hiring managers of technology divisions at banks.
You can still use our template format for technology roles. We don’t recommend clients using executive summaries on their resumes to preserve space (unless you have 10 years+ of experience); your work experience should give people a snapshot of your past, without needing to insert a summary section. In most cases you can use your cover letter to give them a snapshot of your skills.
Hi I am a recently graduated (September 2012) in mechanical engineering and I have started working immediately after graduating in an engineering consulting firm. I work as a technical advisor on Project Finance transactions. Although many of my clients are investment banks, I don’t have the actual experience they look for (financial modelling, etc.). I have been applying to tier 1 IB for a year now, and never got an interview! On the other hand, when I apply to engineering companies (blue chip) I often get an interview. Therefore my skill set must not be that bad. Do you have any advice for me? I am trying very hard to get a position in IB (M&A, ECM or Project/Acquisition Finance), sending applications practically every day.
I am considering doing an MSc in Finance or an MBA (the latter will have to be at least next year due to the 3+ yrs experience requirement), but would these qualifications secure me a position in IB? Will I be too old? Have I missed the boat? I regret not have applied to internships when at Uni.
Perhaps your experience is more “palatable” to engineering roles. You may have to gain relevant finance experience to rebrand yourself. An MBA or MSc in Finance can help you retool yourself and open you more doors, though I wouldn’t say it can secure you a position in IB. Since you’re a recent graduate, no you aren’t too old
Good news Nicole, I have an interview with Rothschild!
Congratulations and good luck!
I have probably read over 20 articles on this site and honestly, I really appreciate the efforts but sometimes get confused with conflicting opinions I read. My questions:
1. Can someone get into IB/PF/HF without any, ZERO, financial modeling experience? I am more than willing to learn the skill but need some guidance on what to read or maybe look into a good book. Till then I am curious to know if I can break into this space.
BACKGROUND: An IT Business Systems Analyst who has done a lot of management and technology consulting for Banks and Software firms. I currently make $90k base + benefits.
1. I think you maybe able to land an internship at a 2nd/3rd tier IB/PE/HF without finance experience with lots of hard work and the right positioning. However, getting a job at an IB/PE/HF, especially as a credible firm, can be more challenging because you’ll be competing against many candidates who have had solid experience (yes financial modeling experience too) in this area. What you can do is to network a lot, and hone your modeling skills.
You may want to check out:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-networking/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-networking/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-networking/
https://breakingintowallstreet.com/ – if you want to hone your modeling skills
Hi, have been in trading for 3 years and im a degree holder from e&e engineering.would you please advise on how to break into ib? Currently have cleared cfa level 1 as well. Thanks
The articles below should help!
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/getting-a-finance-job-from-engineering/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-engineer-no-finance-background/
Hi,
I am an Engineering Graduate currently working in IT industry. Am very much interested in a career in Invest Banking but i don’t have any relevent experience. How can i work for this? or is it mandatory to have MBA for such a career?
Depends on how long you’ve been working… MBA is more necessary if you’ve already been working 5+ years. Please see:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/getting-a-finance-job-from-engineering/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-engineer-no-finance-background/
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-resume-no-work-experience/
Thanks for this – very useful! Quick question: at what point is it OK for your CV to spill over 1 page?
When you have > 8 years of experience. It will still be good to have an abbreviated version of your version then too.
Hi Brian,
I’m working at a bulge bracket through a temp agency and want to update my resume. On my resume, I would rather list the BB as my employer even though technically I’m employed by the temp agency. Do you think this is something I could get away with?
Thx
Are you working for the bulge bracket then? What are you doing for them?
Thanks for the useful info. Do you have a template transaction list?
It’s on the 2nd page of the templates above…
Hi Guys,
Thanks for consistently putting up such great information. I have two years of work experience, currently as a management consulting analyst, and a BBA in Finance from a prominent mid-Atlantic school. I am wondering how much detail I should include from my internship experience on my resume. I worked on a lot of banking-friendly projects so I’d like to include them but don’t want to go overboard.
Thanks!
P.S. My resume is here so you can see what I’m talking about (personal info redacted).
http://www.razume.com/documents/28077
Thanks again!
If you’ve already had 2 years of work experience, I personally wouldn’t go into details re your internship experience. We only review resumes of clients who purchase our resume editing services due to time constraints.
OK, thanks a lot!
P.S. Would you include these on the resume at all (i.e. as one line with a description) or leave them off altogether?
These as in?
Sorry, as in the internships. Thanks.
Yes listing work experience will help
Would you include a personal statement at the top of your resume which sums up your core skills and attributes or is it pointless?
I know it’s done quite frequently in the UK but not sure if it’s viewed to be effective.
No, unless you’re very senior with 10-15+ years’ experience
Hi
i am an engineer with 2years of experience in project management and now i am trying to apply for a Financial Analyst position,
but i don’t know how to modify the objective in my CV to be effective and suitable with my new job.
Currently my objective in CV is:
Occupies a project engineer position with leadership responsibilities including problem solving, planning, organizing, managing budgets and keeping costs under budget. Am confident I can move into Project Management based on being a Project Engineer with around two years of accomplished project management experience with experience speaking at conferences and conducting public presentations
As you can tell from our sample templates, we don’t advocate having objectives there
Hey Brian,
Any advice for someone who has work experience in banking but in back office, and wants to transition into becoming a trader or investment banking. Should I just follow the articles already written.
Also what are your views on the CFA program and where should I put it on my resume.
If you want buyside/ER/equity sales roles, a CFA is useful.
CFA isn’t too important if you want to be a trader/Ibanker
If you want to transition into trading/banking, http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/11/the_venture_cap.html
Why do most people seem to not mention the name of a client when describing a project on their resume? For example, it always seems to be did _____ for Fortune 500 gas company, rather than did ____ for Chesapeake Energy.
Because some details are confidential or some just don’t want to disclose such details on their resume
Hi,
I am 12+ years experienced IT professional and have worked for Investment bank through a consulting firm in the initial stages of my IT carrier, but since then I have been working in Telecom sector for 9 years. Is there anyway I can re-enter the investment banks? I am working as an IT Program Test Manager.
Can some certifications help? I have tried applying to most of the Investment banks opening on same level but the employers always ask for recent Investment banking experience.
Please guide.
thanks & regards,
Piyush
Honestly your experience isn’t relevant and you may be too old to break in. Below article can shed light on your case:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/age-investment-banking/
Thanks Nicole,
I will push the door open as a VP. :)
regards,
Piyush
Just curious, how do you incorporate the summer analyst experience into your resume?
Especially when not listing companies since many deals have not closed.
Hi,
I am an engineer and working with a reputed MNC for 4 years now. In this time span, I came to know that even engineers can look for a career in finance domain. I started preparing for CFA and cleared CFA level 1. I have given CFA level 2 this year and awaiting its result. I really want to get into Financial Research and Analysis but not able to find any way through. Please guide me on this.
Thanks,
Malay
This may be of interest to you: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/getting-a-finance-job-from-engineering/
I’d start compiling a list of company and contacts you are interested in and cold calling people https://mergersandinquisitions.com/cold-calling-investment-banking/
Hi,
Just a question, i am currently working as a financial analyst at a Hospital (reimbursement). At the same time i am doing my MBA in accounting but i get to get into IB. Should i change my major to finance? i am only in my second semester.
Also what is the best website to search for IB jobs? i’ve been using indeed.com
Thanks
Sure if you want to
The banks’ websites. Glocap is a good site I think
Hi. I got a unique entry into IB. Started off in the business development team as an Associate supporting in originating new business. Developed fair level of knowledge of how transactions are executed. As I grew in that role, I became a relationship person who overall managed the transaction coordinated with all the parties involved.
Then finally, I pursued a more extensive deal execution role, where I was leading team of analysts and associates to execute transactions. There I too did lot of ground work on preparing models, IMs etc. At the same time also did term sheet negotiations and pitching for new business.
Want to get your views on how should I really reflect this in my resume since in IB people get to the origination and sales side at VP and above levels. Specially in context of the resume template you have shared for experienced professional.
Thanks
Parag
Focus on your deal and project experience. Also focus on how you sourced deals and becoming the main coverage person – I think this will make you stand out
Hey I have a question. I have an offer to work as an analyst in consumer banking at Citi. Ideally I’d like to go back and get my MBA and work in their investment banking division. Any advice?
If you don’t have other job offers and you can deal with that job, take it and see where the job leads you!
hi, im trying to apply for banking job… probably personal banker rather than teller… at the end i want to go to manager level but im having hard time writing the resume with no experience. would you be able to help me out?
Think you should just follow the template we provided. Other than that network & try to get more experience
Hi,
doing bachelor in chemical engineering. I have done internship with engineering firm but I realised that chemical engineering is not something I would like to pursue in the long term. Would like to make a switch in finance. Pursuing CFA level 1 this year. I would like to ask if it is recommendable if I pursue master of finance straight after college? or should I search job in the finance-related field? and what kind of jobs should I be looking for? thank you for the advice.
I think you should look for a job in finance if you can. You should look for finance roles that interest you.
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-masters-programs/
Hello guys,
I’m applying for S&T positions (couldn’t find a S&T template!)
and just wanted to ask how should I put my day-trading exp on my resume?
I had 2 previous jobs and in between day-traded for a year.
I felt that it might look weird if I had a gap on my resume, so now trying to figure what I should put on.
Here’s my story. I first started off as a FX trader for a year at a top commercial bank in Asia of which 70%+ revenue comes from FX.
I did pretty well but decided to trade my own capital as at the bank I was only allowed to take the slightest if any risk.
I moved to equities and started day-trading for a year and was killing it until my father got cancer, where I had to pull out my capital for his surgeries.
Without capital I couldn’t daytrade no longer and returned to a salary-job.
Q1. Should I or should I not include my 1-year trading gig?
I think I have a story and my P&L was pretty great.
Q2. What sort of details should I include?
Thanks,
CJ
1. Yes.
2. Details of your portfolio size, returns, strategies, stock picks. Details of why you returned to salary-job – brief one liner will do. Details of your salary-job.
Great site! I am a 2nd year grad student at a “top 50” b-school with 5 years of experience in retail banking and 2 years in PWM. I did not land an internship this past summer yet I am very interested in working at a bulge bracket in NYC.
What are my odds? Am I being realistic or should I pursue a second tier/boutique firm?
You should pursue a second tier/boutique; do continue looking for jobs with BB but cast your net wide. Not sure what area you want to work for, I’d also focus on asset management / PWM because of your previous experience.
Hi,
Would you this template for internal transfers? (ie ECM in one country to say Banking in the other)? Thanks
Yes. Focus on the transactions you have been involved in and the skills you have gained in such transactions which pertains to banking in that particular country you want to move to. In the case of internal transfers, while your resume matters, you should focus more on networking and impressing the group you are trying to switch to.
Hi, these are phenomenal templates, but I have kind of a weird situation with which I need some advice. I am currently a financial analyst at a fortune 500, but it does not really have anything to do with IB. It is sort of a hybrid between corp. finance and accounting. I graduated this last spring and I have only been with the company for about 3 months, and I just now decided I want to switch to IB. I have interned at the same fortune 500 before and a have held an internship at a commercial real estate firm where I performed valuations and presentations. My background is in finance and economics for undergrad. A position just opened up at a boutique I-Bank I’m interested in and I am wondering whether or not I should even list the position I currently hold in the resume I submit (since it is such a short time period), or if I should just exclude it and apply as a recent graduate. Thanks.
Yes you still need to include it even if it’s just a line.
I reaaly wish I had found this site earlier!
Hi, you have a nice informative website.
i am a commerce graduate with 10 years of experience in financial services and contact centres handling small teams.
i have now passed mba (banking and finance) from uni of wales and would like to start working in a bank in UK from entry level positions. how can i get a break quickly, any tips you have for me to succeed? many thanks.
anish.
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-networking-london/
Hi,
For the job I am current working on, should I use past tense to describe the responsibilities or should I use present tense?
Thanks!
Use past for everything
Dear M&I,
Thank you for your website. It contains lots of very good information regarding the industry.
I need your thoughts here, please. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, and about 7 years of work experience in market risk management/financial engineering/quantitative finance in top Investment Banks here in Canada – TD Securities, RBC Capital Markets, CIBC World Markets and Scotia Capital. I currently work for the global leader in financial engineering software where I am responsible for expanding the modeling capabilities of their flagship platform to support exotic derivatives and other instruments.
At this time, I am making the move to PE/VC. I am already enrolled in an Ivy League MBA program (EMBA – thus, I do not have to quit my job). My hope is the MBA will facilitate my career change.
Please, I have 3 questions for you:
1) If my goal is to get into a PE/VC firm with a focus in Emerging Markets, what possible routes can I take? I am African and my ultimate goal is to head a PE/VC firm back home in Nigeria or start my own. I am also open to relocating back home within the next 2-3 years. I currently live in Toronto, Canada. But I am prepared to seek employment in the US, if necessary.
2) How can I learn modeling/other required skills on my own? Any courses or materials that you can recommend?
3) How can I sell my profile (work experience + education) to a prospective PE/VC employer?
Thank you very much in advance for your response.
1) You do not have much of a chance of getting into PE/VC unless you worked in something more closely related like IB first, so at this point your best bet is to network directly with firms back home and hope that since it’s an emerging market and you have the background it will be easier there.
2) Yes, see the courses on this site on the right side.
3) You have the finance knowledge from previous experience + learned even more in the MBA program and you’re from the region originally – so you know all the local customs and ways of doing business + have the experience of working in a top finance market and a solid education.
Thank you very much!
Last question – Where can I find a list of PE/VC firms with significant interest in Africa?
Try to find someone who has Capital IQ access – otherwise you’d have to search around online and hope you find something.
Dear M & I,
Thanks for all your help all your stories are very interesting and quite amusing. Here is my dilemma I currently go to Texas A&M College Station and I am currently working in Stamford, CT for the summer working for AXA advisors doing PWM and learning financial planning. For next year I want to do a program called dream careers which gives you a guaranteed internship and housing etc. etc. Anyways my dilemma is that you can choose to either go do an internship in hong kong or new york. And these would be investment banking internships to note. The hong kong one would probably be with like societe general and the new york one is interesting because it does a week long investment banking class which teaches you investment banking stuff and gives you a Financial Analyst Trainee Certificate at the end of it then you work an internship with like a boutique investment bank. So my question is what would be more valuable to get me into the NY program with the week long program to get the certificate and do an internship or go to hong kong and get the international experience. Keep in mind im already networking in NY right now. this is the website to see what i mean if your confused http://www.nycinternships.com/ibanking/investment-banking/ Thanks for your help
P.S. which of these options would help me look better for a bulge bracket firm like goldman, jp etc.?
Same as above if you want to work in NY or US do the NY one
Do NY if you want to work in NY
thanks a lot m&i I appreciate your response. Just to clarify working in one location wont give me a better resume buffer to get into a bulge bracket firm correct?
correct
Thanks for the template. I am from the UK, I have my 1st degree in law, i am a qualified solicitor and just about to finish my master in coporate law and finance. I have always loved to work in the bank though read law, i now want to move into IB with no work experience in banking, as an analyst, do you think i have a chance and do you think networking is the best way? I will appreciate your help thanks.
Yes, networking is necessary pretty much everywhere. You can still get in but you really want an internship or other work experience first.
HI,
Great site,
I am MBA in finance and had 2 years exp in corporate action processing which is IB exp before MBA but after my Bachelors and 2+ years exp in claims administration during my MBA studies
At the moment i m stuck in CV template, can you kindly recommed me about which template to be used for sound response for employers
Quick response will be highly appreciated,
Regards,
Prats
Use the MBA template
Hi Brian,
Just wanted let you know how much I appreciate your resources.
Some of my questions may some what overlap from the above, but would still appreciate your insight as I haven’t found anything specific to accountants yet.
Background:
I’ve interned and am working full time at a big4 accounting firm (for about 2 years) and just recently qualified as a CPA. I’m in the audit practice and most of my experience comes from being exposed to the audit side of the transaction activities – e.g. M&A’s, Goodwill Valuations, DCF’s, Due Diligence, etc. I’m also heavily responsible for managing staff and client relationships. On the side I am also a part time instructor for senior level accounting courses. I come from a “non target” university.
Questions:
With the basis that I will be “spinning” my resume as much as possible to suit investment banking purposes:
1) Should I be using the full-time template and hone in specifically on the transaction activity audits
2) Should I focus on my “deal” pitches on winning new clients and managing staff?
3) Should exceptional performance awards from the firm be avoided?
4) Where should my designation be ranked in the Resume? My GPA is what is considered “average” but my performance on the professional exams were first decile. Should I put the professional exam rankings? And is GPA# mandatory, can I just put the “bucket” – e.g. summa/magna cum laude?
5) Though not entirely transaction services oriented, but would you suggest mentioning service presentations, dealing with Boards and Senior management on complex accounting issues?
6) Props to Breakintowallstreet for the excellent technical videos. Should I be mentioning that I am knowledgeable in modelling and where should I put it? I would likley integrate some aspect of it in my experience above.
7) Should I include my current part time lecturing at the university?
Ultimately, the aim I’m trying to get to is to be relevant to analyst/associate responsibilities (e.g. modelling, pitchbooks, management discussions) but not sure of the weighting
1. Yes.
2. Try to have 1-2 on winning clients and 1-2 on deals, managing staff is not as important.
3. Maybe spend 1 line on it.
4. Just list it in your summary bullets for the work experience entry, your GPA you can leave off if you’ve been working full-time for 2 years unless they ask about it in which case list it in Education at the bottom
5. I would not focus on it unless you made your firm a significant amount of money by doing that or something similarly impressive.
6. If you look at the FAQ on BIWS there are a few examples of how to list this under the “Financial Modeling Programs” category.
7. Sure but don’t focus on it maybe just 1-2 lines
Thanks, much appreciated
Under the experienced template, you have sections via project and client. Can I blend them?
For private clients, is it advisable I put the industry and a significant metric?
e.g:
Privately Owned Real Estate Investment and Management Companies (Assets of $6B)
Yes that’s fine
Hey,
Love the site. Quick question. I’m still within my first year of professional work experience after undergrad and recently made the mental decision to start looking to go into capital markets / ibanking. I’m currently working for a big 5 consulting company – consulting on new product development in the banking industry in NY. Although my experiences are more focused on IT management and very little on finance / banking – what would be the best over message to send in a resume going to a hedge fund / ibank / boutique firm?
Thanks so much,
There are some tips on consulting –> finance here: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/consulting-to-investment-banking/
M&I,
Thanks for the valuable info on the website. I am an MBA in Finance with graduation degree in engineering. i am working in retail banking for almost 3 years and want to move into private or investment banking now. Can you please suggest how to move ahead with my progression and what are the special skills required for it?
Thanks
SK
If you already have an MBA all you can do is network aggressively (look under Recruiting at the top of the page) and focus on very small firms. It will be tough with 3 years experience in retail banking and an MBA already – probably easier to get into PWM rather than IB.
M&I,
I would like to thank you for saving me countless hours of boredom here at work. Absolutely love the site.
My question to you all is this:
I graduated from college in December with a finance degree and an accounting degree, both with mediocre GPAs. The first round of interviews I got were for consulting and accounting jobs (were mediocre wanna-be bankers such as myself go to die.) The mistake I made was taking the first job offered to me which has turned out to be a complete bust. It’s not that the work is completely a waste of time I am keeping my excel skills sharp and learning some good real world life lessons in the world of finance (I suppose?) My contract with this hell hold of a company goes for 1 year however I am pretty dead set on getting out of here in 6 months. So, if I ” resign” in 6 months and leave how should it be treated on my resume?
The projects I am working on will add a value to my resume and I have learned valuable life lessons about taking a job for the money instead of fit. Should I leave it off my resume or just put down what valuable things I did and tell them that I resigned due to not being a good fit? (Or not say anything at all unless it is brought up)
Cheers
-MK
Um definitely still leave it on your resume, otherwise you will be lying / making it seem like you did nothing for 6 months. Just write what you did and don’t even address why you resigned on your resume, if it comes up say you weren’t a good fit.
Hi,
I am an MBA student with Finance major at one of the 2-tier universities in US. I have a bachelors degree in Computer Science and 1-2 yrs of experience in IT and Finance. but the bitter truth is that i lack the required IT skills. I am about to complete my graduation now and worried about the job opportunities. Although i have dual knowledge of IT and Finance, i am unable to creatively prepare my resume due to lack of experience. hence i have decide to include the projects that i worked on during my MBA course which includes many Financial skills required to find an entry level job position. I have also include my research assistant experience gained on-campus and 3 months of Internship experience on my resume.
Have i made the right thing by including the graduate projects and work experience mentioned above? what other changes should i make in my resume?
Thanks,
DJ.
Sure that sounds good. I would focus on IT if you want to go for IT jobs but finance/business for finance/business jobs… so I think you’re on the right track.
Hello Brian,
First, I think this is a great website!!
And on to my question.
I’m searching for opportunities in IB, although I’m currently working in a non-finance industry post-MBA. The problem is that the only experience I have close to IB is my 3 month full-time summer internship and 4 month part-time with a small boutique in NYC during my MBA.
So should I focus on presenting this experience in my resume even though it was only internship? Will the bankers even consider this as experience?
Thanks!
Yes still focus on that experience even though it consisted of internships.
Hey great site + materials.
I’m wanting to find an elegant way to cover a very recent promotion to VP on page 1 of the experienced hire template, while still showing the depth of experience gained at senior associate level.
I also want to keep 2 other roles for previous employers on my first page, therefore this page would be getting quite cluttered if I tried to put all 4 roles onto one page.
The two options i’ve come up with are 1) show only the VP title under my current employer, and footnote the time of appointment and previous role for the employer (I would also move the time period by each title to align with the employer not the title); or 2) keep the format of having a set of bullets under each role, discussing the responsibilities my new role only briefly.
The first option looks much more tidy, but wondering if you thought this approach was risky? I am technically disclosing everything, but could be accussed of presenting things in a slightly misleading way.
Would really appreciate your thoughts.
I would use 2 or it might seem misleading
I have a 3 years non-finance experience before starting my MBA.
I also did two non-IB finance internship before MBA and now during MBA i am leading a team of 4 into the finals of a top Annual IB Case-Competition ,being judged by 2 BB banks in my country.
Would you reccomend using a mixture of ‘MBA-Investment-Banking-Resume-Template’ AND ‘Spin-Non-Finance-Experience-After’? So i devote 30% to two finance internship,30% to full time work-ex and may be 10% to the Annual IB Case Competition (should i write this competition at the top..? ,just below my education as you have done this in ‘Spin-Non-Finance-Experience-After’ template)
Thanks,
Yes. List the competition at the top in Education.
I was hoping to find a deal sheet template.
I have 18 years of experience in Corporate Development and recently left Nortel as part of the bankruptcy of Nortel Networks and looking for a new gig. I have completed 50 deals with a total value over $10.4B, and would estimate I have been involved in at least 300 opportunities. I would love to have someone contact me, and would like to have someone give some thought on how you can help me or for me to help you.
Kirk
We don’t offer 1-on-1 consulting at the moment – I have also removed your phone # because 10,000+ people read this site every day and may see that. I would ask on WallStreetOasis and see if someone there can help you as this site is targeted at the entry-level instead.
I am a Chemical Engineering PhD with 2 postdocs (biofuels/biotechnology).. 5 months and 1 year each + some finance classes (4) from business school. I also have 1 year software development experience outside US. My questions are as follows,
1. Should I include research experience while doing PhD?
2. Should I include non-US experience which dates back more than 5 years?
3. Anything I can include being a PhD (publications, conference presentations)?
4. How postdoc experience can look “business”?
5. Can research experience in biofuels/biotech be leveraged in targeting “IB Analyst/Associate – energy/biotech” jobs?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
AAA
See this section for what to do about research experience: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/how-to-get-into-investment-banking/
Honestly it will be really tough if you already have a PhD with 2 postdocs – you are 500x smarter than what is required of an analyst. I would actually downplay your education and target exclusively biotech / pharmaceutical boutique banks. Non-US experience is fine, it doesn’t really make a difference, the larger issue is that you’re over-qualified for banking.
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your advice. Do you think it is waste of time to look for associate position through networking?
Thanks,
AAA
That’s all you can do at this point, so no – try it for a few months and see where it takes you.
Thanks Brian! I much appreciate your help. If I succeed I will send you a story or case study…just kidding!
Sincerely,
AAA
Hey M&I,
Awesome site, thank you!!
Some background:
I have a First Class engineering (4 years straight masters) undergrad. As part of this I did one year of research for an external firm. The research was in Quantum Physics. I got the highest grade in the class for my research, it was later published, and the firm are pursuing it commercially.
I have been working for a top IT services provider on the business side for 4 years. 2 years as a customer relationship manager. 2 years as a financial modeler on muti million dollar engagements. This is similar to the modeling done in M&A (High pressure, last minute bid deadlines, long hours, requests for menial changes etc.). Some of the deals I have modeled have been FSS clients.
Some Questions
1) I am going for analyst positions as I think that’s where I’ll have the best chance. Do you agree?
2) Should I mention Quantum Physics Research under education, or under a separate “Company Name” given it was conducted commercially, but formed part of my undergrad?
3) Given my strongest asset (I think) is my undergrad, should I elevate this to the top, or leave it at the bottom
4) Should I spend more time on my customer role, or my modeling role?
5) Is it acceptable to use 2 pages in the UK – that’s what all other industries use here, but don’t know about IB.
6) Should I put my 2 roles I have had at the same company as separate “Company Name” sections or as separate projects?
sorry for all the questions. Perhaps some day I can repay your generosity!!
Al
1. Yes but with 4 years exp. it will still be tough, MBA is probably a better bet.
2. Education
3. With 4 years work experience it would be odd to have Education at the top.
4. 40% customer 60% modeling
5. Not for IB unless you are a senior banker – stick to 1 page if you have less than 20 years of experience.
6. Don’t make separate Company sections, just include separate roles.
Hi Brian,
Thank you very much for the very useful information. I have a question here. I am a second year graduate school student and I am a career changer. Before my graduate studies, I was a journalist. In the summer, I did a S&T internship. This semester I will be a teaching assistant for a finance course at my graduate school. How should I re-organize my resume? Should I emphasize my teaching assistant job or my journalism experience after my banking experience in my resume? Thank you very much!
I would devote 50% of the space to the S&T internship, 20% to the teaching assistant job, and 30% to journalism
Hi,
Thanks for the Associate templates.
I am a second year MBA student (from a non-target school) with four years of IT engineering experience in the banking industry and recently completed an internship in corporate banking. I plan to transition into IB and am looking for an associate position.
I have completed CFA Level 1, am the president of the finance club at my school and also an equity research analyst with our student run Investment Fund. Will it be prudent to explain these positions in detail like you demonstrated in the undergraduate section? These are the major activities that I have undertaken to facilitate my transition into finance but you mention that these activities should not be given a lot of importance on the resume and this confuses me. How will I then demonstrate my interest in finance and specially in IB?
Thanks,
Anish
In that case, I would devote around half of your resume to your pre-MBA experience and half to the student groups and activities you mentioned; activities would not be as relevant if you’re coming from a finance background already.
Thanks a lot for clarifying that.
Anish
I’m an MBA student now, a year removed from undergrad (finance major, 3.1 GPA). I worked in a sales job (non finance) for almost a year after undergrad (also sold insurance etc for a few months). Without much financial experience, can I still list my undergrad GPA and Relevant coursework? I feel like I should mix/match the undergrad/MBA templates to push any finance background possible. I am pursuing jobs in the public finance/fixed income fields.
I also played Division I baseball for 4 years, and was wondering if that should be highlighted.
Yes
Sure
Hi,
I will be attending a target school this fall for MBA. I have worked at an analyst level in a real estate PE firm in India before. I am interested in exploring opportunities in banking ( with maybe a different industry focus now) and so so was preparing my resume. I want to ask you if executed deals and potential deals have to be highlighted under separate headings or combined under the Transaction Experience?
Also will highlighting in the education section “emphases on finance and RE” have an effect if i get a chance to interview with a non RE desk?
I have cleared CFA 2 . Where do you think i should put it in the resume?
Thanks in advance.
Sandy
You don’t need to list them separately. Listing RE on your resume may bias you a bit toward RE groups and away from others – maybe leave it out for non-RE groups you apply to. CFA Level 2 I would list at the bottom under Certifications.
Thanks a lot.
Sandy
Just got a question, I got a Bachelor degree in Commerce (major in accounting)and a Master of Arts (interpreting and translation). As it does not have a close connection with Finance, do you think i should do a MBA or another Master degree in Finance or continue to do my PHD in interpreting and translation in order to get into investment banking..
Thanks in advance
Don’t do a PhD. Maybe go for a master’s degree in finance (see the related master’s degree and major articles on the site)
Hey M&I,
Great site. I just bought your networking ninja kit and put it to work at a JP Morgan event tonight!
I need your advice. I am a first year Master’s in Financial Engineering student with trying to get a summer internship in trading, portfolio management or asset management with no prior industry experience.
Earlier this year I started a small investment partnership with a few friends and our meager savings. Basically, we meet every month to discuss our latest investment research and how we should invest our capital. Even though I wouldn’t consider this anywhere near a full-time job, I am inclined to include this under “Professional Experience” on my resume. I am also thinking about leading with it to show potential employers that I have a serious interest in portfolio management.
The trouble is, I’ve got 4 solid years of tech consulting experience at a reputed firm (not an MBB) on my resume, which includes working directly for a CIO, so I’m not sure how to structure my resume to make the best first impression.
Should I include the investment partnership under professional experience? Should I lead with it or put it near the bottom?
James,
Glad to hear it has been helpful. I would actually put the investment partnership at the top because it’s more recent, and then write about consulting below that – you may want to review this article for a tutorial on how to write about this type of experience:
https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-resume-no-work-experience/
I am a Marketing person with 7 years of work with MNCs and going to graduate from a top school in Europe.
I don’t have any finance experience except some private investment account in Forex, Gold and a short course on stock valuation. I also have a long list of finance books that I’m going to finish reading by the end of the MBA.
Should I mention all the above activities and reading list in the resume to assure IB of my strong interest in switching career and gain some advantage?
Thank you for your advice.
Thang
You don’t need to mention all of that but might be good to include a sentence or two.
Hi!
I read your article but still can’t figure out in which resume category do I fit in?
I’ve 1.5 years of full-time banking experience as country manager and I’ll graduate in December in Msc Finance.
Thank you for your advice!
Marianna
If you’re still in school, use the MBA-level template – once you graduate, then you can use the full-time template here.
Thank you for the great templates. These are some of the most efficient and organized I’ve seen. For the university template, what do you think of linking to a website (my “professional” website/blog that my university encourages students to create and maintain) between the address and the contact information lines? Thanks again.
-Lee
Personally I would not do it unless the material is both highly professional and highly relevant to the job search… outside finance that’s fine, but most financial services firms tend to be quite conservative.
Hi,
I’m just wondering if the Full-Time Template can be used by someone not from Finance industry but planning to break into Finance?
Thanks!
GC
As long as you’re out of school already it’s fine to use no matter what industry you’re in.
Hi,
does an engineer with master in finance and no banking experience fits in the Full-Time Template? I mean, does it make sense to include job engineer experience at top before the education section?
Al
If you’ve been working full-time, you pretty much need to do that – doesn’t make sense to put Education at the top unless you’re IN school right now.
Thanks for the full time template, it is very helpful. I have few questions regarding the template.
1. How would you put a client project (should I put client name or just Client 1 or Project 1)that you worked on per client’s request, even though my job as an analyst didnt directly bring in revenues,but the revenue was partly based on the work the analyst and our group did. I worked as a Porfolio analyst for a custodial bank in their oprations division, but I had direct contact with the clients and often worked on project (performed analysis such as impact on MV and performace on the Fund given a certain change in holding of certain securities)would you consider this back office position?
2. I was in the military and worked on several project, but have no name for them, should i just leave it as Project 1, or should i try to give the project a name.
3. I currently have 2 undergraduate degrees, from the same university but different campus (For example Rutgers University New Brunswick and Rutgers University Newark), should i put both degrees under Rutgers University or should I put it as two seprate entries.
Thanks in advance for your help.
1. I would describe the client by Net Worth, AUM, Industry, or something similar and write, “Portfolio Analysis for [Industry Name] Client”
2. For military I would not use the “project” format – better to just say what you accomplished overall. Too hard to describe with specific projects.
3. I would put them both under Rutgers – you waste too much space with separate entries.
Thanks for the Associate templates…I think they’ll be helpful in helping me craft mine.
I was wanting to know something…I’ve been at a boutique IB internship here for about a month now, and I’m helping close an M&A deal (and by that, I mean I’ve initiated and maintained contact with a potential buyer who’s also a personal connection from my prior job). Should I wait until the VERY, VERY end before I mention it on my resume?
I’m also working on researching and identifying targets, acquirers, or investors for other clients we have. Should I give it more time before I begin using the format describing individual deals (or even begin writing a deal sheet?)
Thanks!
You can mention it now, but don’t give the name and just list it as a “Potential” M&A deal.
Honestly I would not do a deal sheet unless you have at least 4-5 years of full-time experience in banking.
Using the “deal” format – as on the IBD resume template – is fine even in the early stages, but make sure you describe everything as “Potential.”
OK, that makes sense.
Thanks!
Hey, unrelated to the post, but a few questions:
3.6 soph at state school, decent connections, great network.
just landed a internship at a PE firm that I plan on holding for this whole school year or more. i have some other great experiences as well (brand name regional PWM, small mutual fund firm in NY).
I have a few questions, little predicaments, future career possibilities that Id like some help in deciding what to do. Ultimately Id like to work in PE.
Should I focus on getting a soph rotational or another PE internship this summer?
If I want to go PE after undergrad, would it be better to have a few internships at different PE firms, or some PE and a summer analyst position (for training and skill set)?
Or, is it just that difficult getting into PE out of undergrad and I should really just go for a two year analyst role and try to get into PE from there?
Short answer is I would just aim for PE internships at the most well-known places you can get into. If you have PE experience and good connections, you can probably get in from undergrad so I wouldn’t bother with anything else.