Investment Banking Resume Sample

To write a successful investment banker resume, you’ll need to show that you have a high level of financial expertise and a proven ability to counsel clients towards financial success.

Whether you’re a senior-level banker or just getting started, here are a few tips to help you write an investment banker resume that’s sure to win any hiring manager’s confidence.

Highlight your investment banker resume skills

Whether you’re facilitating a large transaction like a merger or helping an organization plan for their future, investment bankers rely on a diverse set of skills to do their job.

Employers will be looking for specific traits in your resume skills section to determine if you’re right for the position. Making your skills section easy to read and filling it with your strongest investment banking skills helps employers quickly tell if you can handle the work.

Whether it’s your specialized knowledge in structuring agreements or soft skills in building trust with clients, list your strongest investment banker skills on your resume. Additionally, make sure you include a mix of hard and soft skills to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate.

Here are some examples of common skills to put on your investment banker resume:

• Negotiation
• Mergers
• Pricing
• Regulatory compliance (SEC)
• Analytical skills
• Portfolio management
• Financial planning
• Risk analysis
• SAS
• SAP
• Oracle Hyperion
• Portfolio analysis software
• Microsoft Excel
• Interpersonal skills

Add hard numbers to your achievements

Every success in investment banking is measured with data and dollar signs, so your resume should be no different. Use hard numbers throughout your resume experience section to demonstrate your past accomplishments and show financial firms what you can do specifically for clients.

Add information about the types of deals you have helped broker or the money you’ve helped people make and save with your expert advice and assistance.

Here’s an example of what that looks like in action:

Counseled a company in its investment strategy and boosted its stock price by 12%.

Write a strong investment banking resume summary

A resume summary is a short section at the top of the page that quickly highlights your most impressive experience and skills.

This is the ideal way to start your resume as an investment banker because hiring managers at major firms have little time to review your resume. Giving them a brief summary at the top of your resume allows them to decide at a glance whether or not you’re the right person for the job.

Building trusting relationships is essential to any job in investment banking, so don’t be afraid to reference your specific university, previous places of employment, or high profile clients in your summary. This will help to immediately establish employers’ trust in your abilities.

If you’re a less experienced investment banker, however, play up your educational experience. Mention projects and classes you’ve taken on that are transferable to the finance and investment industry.

To see what this looks like in action, here’s an example of a strong investment banker resume summary:

Detail-oriented financial analyst with 6+ years of experience developing and presenting informed analysis to guide executive-level decisions. Increased revenue by an average of 7% annually through an optimized investment strategy. Possess M.S. in Accounting and CFA certification.

Tailor your investment banking resume to the job post

One of the best ways to stand out from the competition and catch the attention of any investment firm is to include information from the job listing in your resume. Hiring managers are more likely to be impressed by your skills when you highlight those mentioned in their listing.

Study the job description and desired skills in the listing. Make notes of all the relevant skills and experience you have that match the description. Prioritize the desired skills in your resume and describe your relevant experiences in detail.

In particular, mention any of the following on your investment banking resume:

• Projects you’ve worked on relevant to the company’s goals
• Types of investments you’ve dealt with that overlap with the firm’s portfolio
• Personal qualities that align with the company’s philosophy