Investment banking is a field full of competition. Let us help you land the job with our investment banker resume guide with examples and tips and tricks.
Banking is a part of our everyday life, and there are plenty of people and ideas out there looking for someone to invest in their dreams and make them a reality. This is where investment bankers come in.
Investment bankers are financial advisors and analysts that guide businesses and individuals in decisions about expending their money for profit.
To become an investment banker, you do need a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree, with one attained, you're well on your way to working with some of the best banking companies -- if you just put in the time and do the work.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, investment banker and financial analyst positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is faster than average. On top of that, there are currently 487,800 jobs in the market, making it an even more competitive field.
In this article, we are going to help you land an investment banking job by creating an impressive resume. You already have the skills and experience. Now, it's time to put them to paper.
Here are the 7 steps we will be covering:
Finance and banking individuals have very professional jobs. Therefore, if you're applying for the position of an investment banker, it's important for your resume to look as professional as you are.
To truly impress hiring managers, it is crucial to correctly format your resume.
There are three ways to choose from to correctly format your resume:
As an investment banker, showcasing that you have prior experience will really help your resume get noticed. Therefore, it's ideal that you use the reverse-chronological format in your resume, or the hybrid format if you have the skill sets as well.
If you're new to the field and have more skills to offer than actual experience, considering selecting to format your resume in a functional way.
It's also important to include these certain details in your resume:
Tip: Make sure to look over the posted job description and implement some keywords listed on the job you are applying for when creating your resume.
Take a look at our guide on how to format your resume if you want to learn more.
Did you know resumes are only looked at for approximately 6-7 seconds? Especially in such a competitive field, including a resume summary at the top of your resume may be what takes your resume and chances of getting hired to the next level.
A resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb that summarizes everything your resume consists of. Including this really shows hiring managers that you respect their time.
Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, it's easier to pick and choose what you want to include.
Here are some things to mention in your resume summary:
Here's an example of what your resume summary can look like:
IB and CFA certified investment banker with 4+ years of experience preparing valuations for venture-funded startups and M&A candidates. Knowledgeable of sell-side and buy-side deals.
Need more help writing a professional resume summary? Our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.
To be hired as an investment banker, you need to show hiring managers that you have experience with analyzing financial models and managing transactions. Therefore, what you put under work experience is essential.
When listing your work experience, it is important to go in reverse-chronological order so hiring managers know what was your most recent job experience and what you learned or mastered in that job. It's also important to highlight the specifics you did on the job and do so using good verbs.
Tip: When adding your work experience to your resume, you should always include the company you worked for, your job title, your time there, and the location along with the description of what you did.
As an investment banker, here are some job description examples you can include in your resume:
Tip: It's okay to use jargon when describing your work experience. In fact, it lets hiring managers know you understand and know the field's language.
Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.
As an investment banker, there are many key skills that will benefit your resume and help you land the job. In fact, listing impressive and relevant skills give hiring managers more reasons to hire you because, based on your resume, they know you have the qualities they may be looking for.
Here are some examples of key skills you can include in your resume:
Tip: Be sure to include other key skills that are relevant to the job.
Having trouble identifying your skills? We have a guide with 100+ key skills you can include in your resume.
You don't necessarily need to be certified to be an investment banker, but having certifications may help you succeed, and adding them to your resume definitely helps you showcase your expertise and land you the job.
Tip: Be sure to include certifications in your resume summary, too.
Here are some certifications you can get and include in your resume as an investment banker:
Tip: Feel free to include what year you were certified, too.
If you're looking for more information on how to include certifications to include in your resume or want to know how to correctly list them, check out our guide.
To become an investment banker, you do need to have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree. Let hiring managers know your education by including it in your resume.
With that said, here is how you should be listing your education in your resume:
Fordham University
New York, NY
2012 — 2016
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Tip: Some companies may want to see your grade point average (GPA). So, be sure to include that as well, especially if it is above average.
Need more helping listing your education? We have a guide that will help you list your education in 2021 with examples and tips.
As an investment banker, you meet a variety of people, some of whom may speak different languages. Adding a language section to your resume may be what you need to take your resume to the next level and get the job.
Being multilingual is essential as an investment because knowing more than one language also helps to improve your verbal communication and makes you more precise and logical in your problem-solving.
Here are some languages you can include on your resume if you know them:
Tip: Next to the languages you know on your resume, add if you're fluent, intermediate or a beginner in the language to show hiring managers just how well you know the specific language.
Need more help writing the perfect resume? We have a guide that can help you do just that.
Investment banking may be a competitive field, but by following our guide, you're sure to succeed, especially since now your resume highlights your strengths, skills and experiences.
However, we do want to provide you with a quick summary of everything we've covered:
Now, get out there and land the job. You got this!
Don't know whether you should write a one-page or two-page resume? Find out when it is appropriate to write a two-page resume and learn how to write it correctly.
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