Investment Banking Resume Examples & Writing Guide

investment banking resume
Created by CakeResume

Thinking of a career in investment banking? Well, the competition seems tight as it is one of the most competitive positions in the market now. As someone who helps governments and companies raise capital, you surely need to show strong credentials through your investment banking resume bullets. 

Sit straight as we guide you on how to bankify your IB resume and show up as a worthy candidate.

How to write an outstanding investment banking resume

Tip 1: Adopt an ATS-friendly investment banking resume format.

Your investment banking resume might only have the chance to be reviewed by humans if it passes the applicant tracking system. It means that your investment banking resume should meet the ATS standard. Make sure your investment banking resume has relevant headings, adopts important keywords, and is packed into a readable file type.

Tip 2: Refer to online investment banking resume templates and examples.

No matter if you are writing a professional investment banking resume or an investment banking fresher resume, there are a lot of ways to save your time. Feel free to look for investment banking resume samples online as a pinpoint of your resume writing task.

Select carefully, analyze the strength and weaknesses of each example to come up with the best version of your investment banking resume.

You can also directly write on an investment banking resume template if you feel like being more effective and efficient. Blogs like Mergers and Inquisitions or Wall Street Oasis provide great investment banking resume templates. 

💡 Tips: Whichever resume template you choose, remember that a little effort of personalization will still be needed to deliver an IB resume that stands out.

Tip 3: Tailor your investment banking resume for the job position and adopt keywords.

First thing first, notice that an investment banking analyst resume is fundamentally different from an investment banking analyst CV.


Key differences
IB resume
IB CV
Emphasis
Investment banking/finance industry work experience
Detailed academic career
Length
Ideally 1 page (2 pages max.)
No limit
Purpose
Job application
Academic application

For applying for a banking analyst position, you’ll need an investment banking analyst resume instead of an investment banking analyst CV, as you need to list down relevant experience and skills for the job. And to get the job, your investment banking analyst resume needs to be customized specifically for the position.

Incorporating keywords from the job opening post might get your investment banking analyst resume through the ATS, and probably will communicate to the recruiters that you are qualified for the position - except that if you’re not careful enough, your investment banking resume might end up looking too generic just like the rest. 

💡 Tips: To stand out, you should show your own unique experience and qualifications. 

Tip 4: Quantify results on investment banking resume.

As a banking analyst who works with numbers, it is essential to show recruiters how you are good with numbers. You need to show on your investment banking resume how you can solve quantitative problems by showing quantitative results.

Here is an example:

Here is an example: “Researched list of potential targets for a tech company, narrowed down the list from 200 to 20 based on market cap, product line, and geography.”

Tip 5: Show your knowledge of the finance industry.

Target the relevant groups inside the bank when writing your investment banking resume by highlighting finance industry-specific experience and knowledge. But remember to make it legitimate, you have to be able to back up what you say.

What is a good objective for an investment banking resume?


An investment banking resume objective is a summary of your whole qualifications. Compared to an investment banking resume summary, candidates who use an investment banking resume objective relatively have less experience, so what they need to showcase is their academic achievement and goal upon working in the company.

An investment banking resume objective helps freshers put together their best qualities despite the lack of professional experience.

Examples of powerful investment banking resume objectives:

  • A motivated economics graduate from the University of Berkeley (GPA 3.9) with a strong passion for the finance industry. Experienced working as a summer analyst at Goldman Stanley as part of the M&A team on a $100M deal. Eager to advance in investment banking career at Allen & Company.
  • Result-oriented and dedicated economics graduate from Princeton University (GPA 3.8) with internship experiences at Equobank & Jerry Establishment. Secured as an M&A team member of a $100M deal and awarded the most outstanding summer analyst. Desire to obtain an investment baking position with Gadling Investment.
  • Highly committed and enthusiastic finance graduate from UCLA (GPA 3.9) with strong collaboration and negotiation skills. President of UCLA Investment Banking Club who managed 100+ events during the period and built new connections as well as maintaining strong connections with Wall Street. Eager to be a part of Stanley & Company to open up new networks to the company.

As you may have noticed, these examples consist of some similar elements.
To put it briefly, here are some elements that can structure your investment banking resume objective:

  • Personal traits
    Adjectives like ‘motivated’, ‘passionate’, ‘result-oriented, ‘enthusiastic’, etc. sets you apart from the rest.
  • Academic accomplishments
    This may be an attention stealer at the beginning of your strong investment banking resume objective that keeps the recruiters’ eye on reading the rest of your resume.
  • Internship experiences
    This can show readiness for the job as it cultivates the skills required.
  • Career objective
    Simply state your intention and motivation upon joining the company.

Professional investment banking resume summary

The investment banking resume summary is to show your best quality as an investment banking analyst in one shot! Of all the accumulated experiences that you have, pick just one most remarkable achievement, show the results in a quantified way.

The goal is to catch the recruiters’ “wow” and let them continue reviewing your whole investment banking resume.

Examples of great investment banking resume summaries:

  • 4+ years experienced investment banking associate with expanding successful records from dealing with $10M worth of non-binding offers and building accurate financial models that led to company acquisition deals. Excited to join the Goldman Stanley team in providing analytical services to clients and mentoring new analysts.
  • Senior investment banker with 7+ years of experience in global asset management across diverse financial markets. Proven with a track record of success in making multimillion-dollar deals and maximizing returns on investment and minimizing risk by thorough investment analysis and research.
  • Senior investment banking professional with 10+ years of experience in global asset management. Holds a continuous track record of success in maximizing investment return minimizing risk by thorough investment analysis and corresponding strategy. Excited to develop potential opportunities at Kearney.

Key points to be put in your investment banking resume summary:

  • Numbers of years of experience
  • Achievement with quantified results
  • Your expertise
  • Motivation for joining the company

What are some great investment banking skills for a resume?

The skills section is a very critical part, especially if you’re attempting to write an investment banking fresher resume. It is important to demonstrate both analytical and quantitative abilities in your banking analyst resume. Keep this section simple and informative by putting together technical and organizational skills with bullet points.

Examples of a strong set of skills for investment banking resume:

Technical Skills:Organization Skills:
Oracle HyperionStrong Analytical Mind
Negotiation & DealsCollaboration & Leadership
Financial Analysis & Research Project Management Skills
Equity ManagementStrong Communication Skills
Risk AnalysisRisk Identification & Management

How to write an investment banking resume with no experience

Advice 1: Choose the right investment banking resume format.

There are 4 types of resume format (chronological, functional, combination, and targeted). The two basic types and most commonly used resume formats are chronological and functional. The two however emphasize different things - chronological format puts an applicant’s work experience from the latest to earliest, while functional format highlights skills of the applicant.

  • A chronological resume format works best for an applicant who has a continuous job history - typically for an investment banking associate resume.
  • A functional resume format, on the other hand, does a great favor in writing an investment banking resume for a fresher, as it covers one’s lack of experience by highlighting relevant skills. 
  • For a more integrated resume, however, there is a highly customized resume that is specially made for a specific company or job. 
  • The targeted resume format saves your IB resume from looking too generic - it makes you the BEST fit for a particular position. 

📝  Important things to keep in mind when formatting your investment banking resume:

  • For college students crafting an investment banking associate resume, make sure you pack your content and obvious enthusiasm in the industry with a good resume template.
  • For professionals tailoring an experienced investment banking resume, don’t miss detail and descriptions of your work accomplishments otherwise your resume might look weak as it lacks obvious enthusiasm or anything engaging. 

Advice 2: Adopt a career objective.

An objective statement is a brief paragraph in your investment banking resume that describes how your career intentions align with the company’s value. And the most objective is the one that is tailored to the specific position you’re applying for!

Advice 3: Highlight your education.

Your education plays a big role too, especially if you’re still in university. But merely attending a very good school won’t be enough. You need to show your passions for the industry during your time of education.

💡 Tips: Key points to be included in the education section for IB resume are the university name, major, graduation date, and GPA. Other than those, honors, relevant coursework, or research works can add great value to your IB resume.

Advice 4: Include your professional page in the investment banking resume.

In this digital era, utilizing a digital platform to display your professional experience is a great investment. Not only does it make your investment banking resume visible to more potential employers, but it can also include some relatable links about your past endeavors that make it interactive than just a single printed paper IB resume.

Advice 5: Write a sincere investment banking cover letter.

Even in this digital era, no candidate should ever skip this step. A well-written letter expresses your sincere intention and personality as a candidate. An investment banking cover letter consists of these important parts:

  • Greeting & Opening
  • Initiative and Motivation
  • Key Qualifications & Achievements
  • Qualification Summary and Closing

CakeResume helps investment banking build professional resumes! Start from choosing a suitable resume template & layout, you can learn from our step-by-step guide to make a perfect investment banking resume for free.

Investment Banking Resume Sample

James Smith 

Deal-Maker Investment Banking Associate

Phone: (+1) 000-1729
CakeResume: cakeresume.com/jamessmith
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamessmith

Profile

4+ years experienced investment banking associate with expanding successful records from dealing with $10M worth of non-binding offers and building accurate financial models that led to company acquisition deals. Excited to join the Goldman Stanley team in providing analytical services to clients and mentoring new analysts.

Work Experience

Investment Banking Associate, Asia Bank 

July 2018 - Present

  • Worked directly with investment directors evaluating and executing potential  transactions in Southeast Asia.
  • Analyzed companies by performing financial modeling and valuations, and assisted senior bankers on potential buyers and acquisitions.
  • Researched list of potential targets for a tech company, narrowed down the list from 200 to 20 based on market cap, product line, and geography.

Selected Transactions:

  • Built leveraged buyout model to gain 100% proposed valuation of the equity.

Investment Banking Analyst, Goldman Stanley 

June 2017 - June 2018

  • Sourced and created marketing pitches materials and delivered to C-suite members of 40+ large corporate clients.
  • Utilized the DuPont formula to value companies based on ROE.
  • Participated in the negation sessions leading to acceptance of a non-binding offer worth approximately $10M.

Skills

Technical Skills:Organization Skills:
Oracle HyperionStrong Analytical Mind
Negotiation & DealsCollaboration & Leadership
Financial Analysis & Research Project Management Skills
Equity ManagementStrong Communication Skills
Risk AnalysisRisk Identification & Management

    Education

    • Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Colorado State University 
    • GPA: 3.9/4
      • President of Economics Department Quant Traders
      • Mastered Econometrics coursework (including training in STATA)

     2013 - 2017

    Certifications 

    • Bloomberg BMC, 2017
    • CFA Certification, 2016
    • Financial Modeling Certification, 2016

    --- Originally written by Elonike Verina ---

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