Investment Banker Resume Examples for You to Use This Year

Updated September 2, 2022549

A strong resume is important to prove to a hiring manager that you’re skilled in investment banking. Here’s how to write an impressive resume.

Investment Banker Resume Examples

The investment banking field is one of the most competitive fields out there. Whether you’re a brand-new student or an exceptionally skilled banker, you’re competing against thousands of people for every job. This investment banker resume example will help impress a hiring manager and get you closer to the job you want.

What To Highlight in an Investment Banker Resume

Numbers are critical to an investment banker’s success and are also crucial to the success of your investment banker's resume. If you want a hiring manager to take you seriously, include as many quantitative metrics as possible, whether it’s the fact that you graduated in the top 5% of your class, that you’ve helped your clients improve their investments by 21%, or that you’ve been in the field for 15 years. Numbers will improve your investment banking resume significantly.

Structure of an Investment Banker Resume

To write a great resume, you must first decide on your resume format. There are three resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. Depending on your experience and what you want to emphasize, depending on how much experience you have and what you’re trying to emphasize. Then, you can move on to writing the rest of the resume.

Header

Every resume template will include a different header design, but this will always be where you place your contact information. That information must include your phone number, email address and professional social media links, such as your LinkedIn profile and online portfolio. Be sure your contact information is correct so a recruiter can contact you.

Resume summary or objective

The top of your resume will include a two- to three-sentence paragraph introducing you to the hiring manager. If you have lots of experience, write a resume summary. This goes over your specific experiences and achievements, emphasizing the fact that you’re well-established in your field. If you have less experience or none at all, write a resume objective. This goes over your skills and education, then ends with your career goals, emphasizing that you have the knowledge necessary to succeed.

Skills

Your skills section will be where you list your specific skill set. Remember that you should include both hard skills and soft skills in this section. Here are a few bullet points to consider adding to your investment banker resume:

Company valuation
Financial analysis
Financial modeling
Managing private equity
Closing buy-side deals
Corporate finance knowledge
Financial analyst skills
Handling mergers
Doing due diligence
Managing hedge funds
Structuring MBOs and LBOs
Helping onboard a new business
General portfolio management
Understanding profitability
Real estate management
Knowledge of Wall Street

Remember to include both skills that you excel at and skills that the hiring manager specifically noted in the job description.

Work history

Your work experience section may be very significant. You can include up to 10 years of experience or more if you’re applying to a high-level senior banker position. This is one resume type where the one-page resume might not work for everyone. Include all relevant experience, including transaction experience and IPO experience, and emphasize work at bulge bracket banks like Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. List your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent experience.

Education

Investment bankers need lots of certifications and education, so your education section may also be very robust. Include a bachelor’s degree and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation if you have one.

Do’s and Don’ts for an Investment Banker Resume

These tips will help you write a professional investment banker resume:

Do:
- Use the ResumeNerd resume builder once you’re ready to write your resume. This is a quick and effective way to create a stunning resume, and investment banking resume templates are available.
- Proofread before you send your resume off. A typo is the easiest way to lose a position, even if the resume is stunning.
- Read through resume samples before you start writing. This helps you get a feel for how other job seekers will mention their skills and successes.
Don’t:
- Use passive language. Turn passive phrases, like “Was assigned,” into action words, like “Completed.”
- Try to be humble. This is an incredibly competitive field, so take pride in your accomplishments rather than downplaying your successes.
- Include your GPA. Most recruiters do not care much about a GPA, but if it falls below the average of other candidates, it could hurt your resume.

FAQ: Investment Banker Resumes

Do I need to include a cover letter for an investment banker application?

You should include a cover letter on all your investment banking applications. Even if the job description doesn’t specifically request a cover letter, including one allows you to talk more about your experiences and can place you ahead of other job seekers who didn’t include one in their application. When you are ready to write your cover letter, use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder.

How can I write an investment banker resume without a lot of experience?

Investment bankers who graduated from school frequently apply to entry-level investment banking analyst jobs without professional experience. First, emphasize your knowledge and relevant skills, indicating success in your academic life. Second, consider including non-professional experience that appeals specifically to a particular job. If the bank you’re applying to regularly contributes to charities for people with disabilities, include volunteer work you’ve done for groups in that arena.

How do I change my investment banker resume to apply to different jobs?

Every job you apply to should have a different type of resume. You must tailor your resume to the specific job posting you’re applying to, as the “perfect resume” is really about writing the best resume for each job posting. Look through the job description and see how the hiring manager describes their perfect investment banking associate. Then, include those skills and experiences in your resume.

Link copied!

About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.