How to Make Your Resume Stand Out in Investment Banking?
Use these 10 tips to make sure your resume stands out in the competitive field of investment banking.
The investment banking industry is highly competitive, and it's essential to have a strong and effective resume if you want to stand out from the crowd. Here are 10 tips to make sure your resume stands out in investment banking.
#1 Use Clear and Concise Format
Keep your resume to one page and use bullet points to highlight your accomplishments and responsibilities. Use a font like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri that is easy to read and professional. Avoid using any distracting graphics or images, as they can make it harder for a potential employer to focus on the content of your resume.
We recommend following the resume structure broken down in the diagram above and in the resume template download below.
#2 Tailor your Resume to the Job
Make sure to highlight your relevant skills, experience, and education that align with the specific requirements of the investment banking job you are applying for. It's essential to tailor your resume to the specific position you are applying for, as this will show the employer that you have the skills and experience they are looking for.
#3 Use Strong Action Verbs
Use strong action verbs such as "strengthened," "executed," or "delegated" to describe your responsibilities and achievements. Action verbs help to demonstrate your leadership skills and show that you are proactive and capable of taking on new challenges.
#4 Include Quantifiable Results
Include specific examples of your accomplishments and how they benefited the company or organization you worked for. Use numbers to quantify your results, such as "increased e-commerce revenue by 30%." This helps to show the employer the tangible impact you had in your previous roles and makes it easier for them to see how you could contribute to their organization.
#5 Spotlight your Skills
Highlighting your skills can help you build a strong professional reputation and credibility. It can show others that you are capable and competent in your field. Skills like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are common to put, but if you want your skills to stand out, try to be specific. For example, you can list specific Excel formulas or finance-specific programs such as Bloomberg.
#6 Emphasize your Education
Investment banking firms often look for candidates with strong educational backgrounds, so be sure to highlight your educational achievements on your resume. Include any relevant coursework or degrees that demonstrate your knowledge of finance and business. Make sure that you can answer questions regarding a particular class if you list it on your resume.
Example Relevant Coursework:
- Financial Accounting
- Corporate Finance
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Quantitative Analysis
- Applied Business Statistics
- Financial Modelling
If you need help boosting your resume with relevant coursework, consider checking out our best-selling business and finance courses.
It is also optional to put your high school, so only include it if it enhances your application. We suggest you go into more detail about high school and university in this space if you don’t have much to say in other sections and need to fill space.
#7 Highlight Your Internships and Work Experience
If you have any relevant internships or work experience, be sure to include them on your resume. This can help to demonstrate your familiarity with the investment banking industry and give you a competitive edge.
Below, you will find examples of relevant work experience in the finance industry. Not only are the internships from noteworthy companies, but the descriptions are also very detailed and specific. This gives investment banks a nice, brief synopsis of your responsibilities.
#8 Include Any Relevant Extracurricular Activities
If you have participated in any extracurricular activities that demonstrate your leadership skills or teamwork abilities, be sure to include them on your resume. This can help to show the employer that you have a well-rounded skill set and can contribute to the organization in various ways.
#9 Differentiate Yourself with Additional Information
If you played a competitive sport or have fluency in another language, make sure to list that in the additional information section as it will differentiate you from other candidates. Make sure to list your interests and be genuine about them. Listing things like macroeconomics or mathematics will not seem authentic if you are not able to speak about those topics passionately.
#10 Proofread your Resume
Make sure to proofread your resume carefully to catch any typos or errors. A well-written and error-free resume will make a much stronger impression on a potential employer. It's also a good idea to have someone else review your resume to catch any mistakes that you may have missed.
Final Remarks
By following these tips, you can create a strong and effective resume that will stand out in the competitive investment banking industry. It's essential to take the time to carefully craft your resume and tailor it to the specific position you are applying for, as this will increase your chances of getting an interview and ultimately landing the job.
Make sure to check out My Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Resume. In this article, Kenji will walk you through his own resume that got him an investment banking job at Goldman Sachs.
In addition to sharpening up your resume, you'll likely have to learn a good deal of technical finance knowledge to pass through the following rounds of investment banking interviews. If this sounds like you, we strongly recommend you check out our Complete Finance & Valuation Course and more using the get started button below!
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