11 Investment Banker Resume Examples for 2025

Investment banker resumes are critical tools that show your skills and experience. This article provides proven examples and strategic advice. Learn how to highlight transaction experience, analytical skills, and deal achievements. Understand how to structure your resume to catch the attention of top financial firms. Use relevant keywords and industry-specific terms to stand out. Follow our guidelines to boost your job search in this competitive field.

  Compiled and approved by Liz Bowen
  Last updated on See history of changes

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At a Glance

Here's what we see in top investment banker resumes.

  • Show Impact Using Metrics: The best resumes show impact by using numbers. Common metrics include revenue growth, cost reduction, client acquisition, and portfolio growth.

  • Highlight Relevant Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are financial modeling, equity research, M&A, corporate finance, and capital markets. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Junior Vs Senior Level Resumes: Junior resumes focus more on internship experience while senior ones highlight executive-level roles. Tailor your resume to your career stage.

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Where to place education

If you are new to working in investment banking or just finished your studies, show your education first on your resume. This tells hiring managers you have fresh knowledge from your studies. Include degrees relevant to finance, economics, or business. Add any important courses that show important skills for the job.

For experienced professionals, place your work history first. Only add your education after your work details. If you recently completed a higher degree or certification, such as an MBA or specialized finance program, list this near the top as it is a strong point. Skip mentioning high school to save space for more relevant details.

Showcase deal experience

In the investment banking field, highlighting deal experience is key. Include a section where you list the major transactions you have worked on. Show your role in each deal and the outcomes.

Also, include financial metrics where possible. For example, detail the size of the deals and the industries involved. This helps show your real-world impact and expertise.

Ideal resume length

As an investment banker, it is essential to keep your resume concise. You should aim for one page if you have less than ten years of experience. This brief form allows you to show that you can focus on what matters most. Ensure your key achievements and current role are clearly visible.

For those with extensive experience, a two-page resume is appropriate. Use the first page to highlight your most significant roles, deals, or skills. Extra space lets you share a more compelling story of your career without overwhelming the reader. Remember to keep fonts and margins reasonable to maintain readability.

Certifications and licenses

For an investment banking role, make sure to list relevant certifications and licenses. Include details like Series 7, Series 63, or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certifications.

These certifications are important for demonstrating your qualifications. They set you apart and show your commitment to professional standards.

Beat the resume scanner

When you apply for a job as an investment banker, your resume may first be read by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). To get your resume seen by a human, you need to make sure it works well with these systems.

Here are some things you can do:

  • Use standard job titles like 'investment banking analyst' instead of creative ones. This helps the ATS recognize your experience.
  • Include specific skills that are asked for in the job description, such as 'financial modeling' or 'mergers and acquisitions expertise.'

Keep your resume format simple. Avoid tables or images that can confuse the ATS. Instead, use clear headings and bullet points to show your experience and skills.

Make your resume relevant

When you write your resume, you need to show how your past work connects to the job you want. For investment banking, focus on your deal-making skills, understanding of financial markets, and ability to handle complex financial transactions. Using the right words and details can help your resume stand out.

  • Highlight your history of successful deals and how you have made money for your clients or company, like guided a $500M equity offering or structured a complex merger worth $2B.
  • Show that you can lead and work with a team. Say how big your team was and how your leadership helped the company, like led a team of 10 analysts to drive a 20% revenue increase.
  • If you're coming from a different job, talk about your finance skills and how you have used them in other markets or businesses, for example, analyzed retail sector trends to inform investment strategies.

Essential skills for your resume

When crafting your resume as an aspiring investment banker, it's crucial to focus on the hard skills that show you can handle the job's demands. Below is a list of skills you should consider including if they match your experience and the role you're targeting.

  • Financial modeling
  • Valuation techniques
  • Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
  • Initial public offerings (IPOs)
  • Quantitative analysis
  • Due diligence
  • Corporate finance
  • Deal structuring
  • Capital markets
  • Regulatory compliance

Remember, you don't need to include every skill. Focus on those that align with your expertise and the specific investment banking role you want. Place these skills in a dedicated section for clarity, and because many companies use automated tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for relevant keywords. By doing so, you increase your chances of moving past the initial screening stage.

Moreover, if you have experience with specific financial software, it's good to list those as well. Examples might include Bloomberg Terminal, Thomson Reuters Eikon, or Excel. Depending on the job you're applying for, these tools can be highly relevant and show you have the technical know-how to perform in the role.

Show leadership and growth

When you want to stand out in the field of investment banking, showing leadership and job growth is key. Here's how you can do that:

  • Include any roles where you led a team. For example, 'Led a group of 4 analysts to deliver a comprehensive valuation report.' This shows you can manage and guide others.
  • Highlight any promotions. For instance, if you started as an analyst and moved up to an associate, make sure to show this progress. Use phrases like 'Promoted within 18 months due to strong performance in client management.'

Think about times when you took the lead on projects or were recognized for your work. Even if you're not sure, consider any task where you had more responsibility than before. This can be 'Acted as interim team lead during senior's absence, overseeing equity research.'

Show leadership and growth

When you apply for jobs, it is good to show proof of your leadership or any times you moved up in your work. This helps us see you can take on more responsibility and lead a team.

Think about your work history. Look for times when you were given more tasks or when you helped others do their work better. If you led a project or a group, that is also a type of leadership. Write these down as clear examples.

  • Example: Led a team of analysts to improve client investment strategies, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction.
  • Example: Promoted to senior associate after demonstrating strong ability to manage complex mergers and acquisitions.

Use simple phrases to explain how you made things better or helped your team. If you trained new workers or were chosen to speak at important meetings, these are good examples of leadership too.

Quantify your banking impact

As an aspiring investment banker, you need to show your ability to deliver quantifiable results. Metrics can help you do this. They make your impact clear and easy to understand. Here's how you can use numbers to show your value:

  • Highlight your deal-making skills by including the total value of deals you've worked on, like $500 million in mergers and acquisitions.
  • Showcase your analytical prowess by mentioning the percentage increase in investment returns you’ve achieved for clients, such as 20% year-over-year growth.

Think about the outcomes of your past work. Even if you're not sure of the exact figures, you can estimate:

  • Consider the number of client accounts you've managed or the volume of transactions processed monthly.
  • Reflect on any cost-saving strategies you've implemented, like reducing operational costs by 15% through efficiency improvements.
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