Investment Banker Resume: 11+ Examples and Writing Tips

Investment Banker Resume (Text Version)

Contact Info:

Roger Peters
[email protected]
1 (503) 564-2111
Portland, OR 97035
linkedin.com/rogerpeters

Summary Statement:

Investment Banker: Award-winning Investment Banker highly skilled at analyzing opportunities and formulating investment considerations based on market data. Known for focused work ethic, strong communication skills, thorough data analysis, and outstanding efforts in investment acquisitions.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• Financial Modeling
• Investment Decks
• Regulatory Compliance
• Investment Strategy
• Quick Learner
• Teamwork
• Problem Solving
• Interpersonal Communication

Professional Experience:

Bounty Agricultural | Portland, OR
Investment Banking Associate | August 2017–Present

• Identify and present investment opportunities in the agricultural field
• Execute investment transactions and manage due diligence
• Collaborate with management in assessing risks and gains
• Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of existing investments

JP Investment Bank | Portland, OR
Investment Banking Analyst | January 2015–June 2017

• Evaluated and executed investment transactions on behalf of corporate clients
• Worked with team of analysts to analyze data & plan investment strategies
• Completed due diligence of relevant investment markets
• Received award for outstanding efforts in investment acquisitions

Trillium Investment Firm | San Diego, CA
Banking Investment Analyst | September 2012–December 2014

• Assisted fellow analysts with PitchBook projects
• Studied past mergers and acquisitions
• Assessed risks and returns of potential investment opportunities
• Consulted with firm clients concerning investment and financing options
• Helped business startups with debt and equity structuring

Education/Certifications

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: Finance
California College San Diego, San Diego, CA
Class of 2013

Choosing good investments is a science. There are formulas for success.

Likewise, there is a proper way to format your investment banker resume, one that will help you reach the next stage of your career.

These days, many employers use software bots to scan resumes for certain keywords and for proper language. So this is one reason you want the right formatting.

A hiring manager will spend about six seconds actually reading your resume. So it needs to be structured effectively.

One central aspect is to lay out your resume in reverse chronological order.

This is to ensure that your most recent experience and work position will be seen early on by the reader.

In addition, you need to select an easy-to-read font. Stay away from anything flowery or artistic.

Good use of white space is an important element of readability. Make sure that your columns, text, and lists are properly spaced on the page.

So what do you write first?

Every effective resume should start with a summary.

In 2–3 sentences, write a statement about your best skills and qualifications. Encapsulate those aspects that make you a great investment banker.

Your summary will be your first impression, so let’s get it right!

Avoid generalities. Be specific about your value and expertise.

A good summary will leave the reader wanting to know more about your experience.

PRO TIP: It might feel natural to make your summary a statement of your professional objective. But you’ll want to avoid doing this. Your resume is not a document of your personal ambitions. Rather, it is a focused synopsis of your top skills. Leave the personal aspects for an interview!

Let’s now take a look at some summary examples.

The first example is a solid statement of the candidate’s qualifications and expertise.

This is an award-winning professional who makes powerful claims regarding their skill set.

The summary leaves the reader eager to know more about the candidate’s skills and actual experience.

Whereas the first example communicates confidence and ability, the second is a vague statement with no real power, despite the use of exclamation points.

The language is unprofessional and cluttered.

An objective is included in the summary, which, again, is not appropriate.

You can really tell the difference when comparing both examples side by side.

The second summary example may not necessarily indicate an unsuitable candidate. In fact, the individual may be the ideal candidate for the position.

However, the use of poor language and formatting will prevent an employer from gaining an accurate sense of the candidate’s true value.

This is why it’s so important to get your summary right!

It’s a good idea to follow up your summary with a curated list of your expertise points.

Your skills are what sets you apart.

Perhaps you have more experience in a certain area than another candidate.

Here is the place to make it known!

In a bulleted list, put down a collection of your hard skills and soft skills.

Example:

• Financial Modeling
• Investment Decks
• Regulatory Compliance
• Investment Strategy
• Quick Learner
• Teamwork
• Problem Solving
• Interpersonal Communication

See how both types of skills are balanced on the list?

Hard Skills pertain to your vocation.

What do you know about being an Investment Banking Analyst?

What are your best skill points?

Soft Skills are those personal attributes that you bring to your role as an analyst.

Things like communication ability, organizational skills, and ability to work with a team.

Make sure to have your Areas of Expertise list correlate to what is desired in the job description.

PRO TIP: No doubt you’ve acquired a good many skills in your field. Narrow them down to the most relevant, or to those skills that will resonate most with a hiring manager.

Now let’s move on to your actual work experiences.

If you’ve held more than two positions in your chosen field, this section will comprise the majority of your investment banker resume page.

Your work history is an opportunity to demonstrate how you’ve been putting your skills to use over time.

It will also reveal the trajectory of your career.

Begin with layout.

Remember that we are using reverse chronological order.

A hiring manager wants to get an immediate sense of where you are at in your working experience.

So list your most recent position first.

Unless you lack experience, you will not have to list every job you’ve held — only those relevant to the position you’re working towards.

Include:

• Company name
• Location of company
• Your job title while there

Also, list dates of employment.

You may feel it necessary to leave dates off your resume due to gaps between jobs or short periods of employment.

If you do this, be aware that you will have to answer questions pertaining to missing dates should you progress to the interview stage. Employers are going to want to know all about gaps and short spans of employment.

List your day-to-day functions at the positions you’ve held using bullet points.

3–5 relevant points should be sufficient.

Remember to use power words for each one!

Power words demonstrate action and ability.

Examples for reference:

The candidate in the first example appears to be a competent professional, intimately familiar with the particulars of the position.

Each bullet point features a power word that further lends an impression of confidence and ability.

The candidate in the second example is not doing much to prove their competence in the position.

The points lack specificity and detail, leaving more questions than answers.

Important information is left out of the entry heading.

Not a good impression overall.

You want your work experience section to drive home your value with practical examples of your skills at play.

PRO TIP: Good power word usage can make all the difference in this section. You want to choose words that fit with the role you’re describing. Power words should also be relevant to your field.

More About Bots

Have you heard of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

These systems use bots to scan resumes for relevance and suitability.

For this reason, your investment banker resume needs to be scannable.

Not every employer uses an ATS. But if you’re concerned about an ATS impeding your resume, there are several formatting changes you can make.

For instance, you could use a paragraph format for your work experience, rather than bullet points.

So instead of this:

Bounty Agricultural | Portland, OR | Investment Banking Associate | August 2017–Present

• Identify and present investment opportunities in the agricultural field
• Execute investment transactions and manage due diligence
• Collaborate with management in assessing risks and gains
• Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of existing investments

Paragraph format would look like this:

Identify and present investment opportunities in the agricultural field. Execute investment transactions and manage due diligence of crucial aspects. Collaborate with management in assessing risks and gains.

A mixed format approach is also an option, with bullet points to mark special roles or achievements.

Identify and present investment opportunities in the agricultural field. Execute investment transactions and manage due diligence of crucial aspects. Collaborate with management in assessing risks and gains.

• Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of existing investments
• Received performance award at end of first year

A paragraph format permits you to include more keywords. This will help improve your resume’s scannability.

However, a paragraph is harder to read than bullet points.

So really consider before choosing to go with an alternative paragraph format.

Education plays a crucial role in forming our career path and professional aptitude.

Typically, your resume will end with a summary of your educational credentials, starting with the highest level of education you’ve achieved.

Example: High school Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, etc.

Work backwards from there.

List all relevant information, including the name of the school or institution you attended, field of study, and any achievements or concentrations.

Include minor degrees as well.

You can even list your GPA, especially if you’re fresh out of school and lack experience.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: Finance

California College San Diego, San Diego, CA
GPA: 4.0
Class of 2013

Example:

• “Analysts and Clients,” Professional Workshop, Los Angeles, CA
• “Talking to Banks,” Professional Seminar, San Diego, CA

Additional Sections

Sometimes not everything notable about us will fit with the typical sections of a resume.

So you might have a need for an additional section.

This can help if your work history is lacking as well.

Consider adding sections such as:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What if You Have No Experience?

There can be many reasons why we lack experience.

Perhaps we’ve changed careers or have only just graduated.

Whatever your specific situation, do not let lack of experience prohibit you from writing an effective investment banker resume.

Here are a few changes you can make:

Move your education section under your opening summary.

If your relevant work experience is thin, chances are your education is going to be your highest value point.

So you’ll want your education details seen as soon as possible on the page.

Obviously, you have worked before, even if you don’t have experience in your chosen field.

So comb your experience for skill points that could be relevant, even skills acquired outside of an employment context.

Are you good with numbers? Did you excel at math in school?

Have you kept records?

Have you ever worked a job that required attention to details and customer satisfaction?

Experience points like these could contribute to your pursuit of a job as an investment banker.

There’s always something else to remember!

Here are a few:

Remember to list your contact information

Whether it’s a LinkedIn profile, email address, or otherwise, just make sure the information is up to date and provides a good way to get in touch with you.

Use space effectively

Put your resume summary at the top of the page, followed by your expertise points, your work experience, and then your education information. There are exceptions, as we’ve noted. But following this formula will ensure you’re using your space wisely.

Use effective and relevant power words

Powerful language is key to a successful resume. There are so many power word options out there. So don’t limit yourself. Take your time and find the power words that are right for your resume!

Use a trusted proofreader

Typos and mistakes slip past the best writers. So make the effort to recruit a proofreader. You want your resume looking polished!

A few things to avoid:

Avoid first-person language

Use of “I” or “me” will not help your resume. You’re not going for personable, but professional. Keep the focus on your skills and expertise.

Avoid multiple pages

Remember, you’re not writing a thesis of your skills and experience! A single page should be enough to list all your relevant information.

Avoid repeating yourself

Repetitive language in your resume is a good way to cause a hiring manager to stop reading. Keep your text varied. Power words will help you achieve this.

(We’ve put together a handy table of power words below to use for inspiration.)

Avoid outlandish fonts and formatting

Readability and scannability are your main goals when writing your resume. So use fonts and formatting that will help you reach them.

Investment Banker Resume Power Words

• Identify
• Execute
• Collaborate
• Perform
• Evaluated
• Worked
• Completed
• Received
• Assisted
• Studied
• Assessed
• Consulted
• Helped
• Formulated

Investment Banker Resume Skills List