Investment Banking Resume: Examples & How to Write One
An investment banking resume is read quickly and scored on a short list: deal exposure, modeling ability, academic record, and evidence that you can hold up under a deadline. The conventions are strict — one page, education near the top for junior hires, no design flourishes — and the deal experience section does most of the work. This guide covers what to include, a worked example, how to frame transactions you cannot name, and the GPA and formatting expectations that differ from most other fields.
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What an investment banking resume must include
- A one-page format, with education near the top for analysts and associates hired from campus.
- A deal experience section — sometimes a separate deal sheet — listing transaction type, size, sector and your role.
- Modeling evidence: DCF, trading comps, precedent transactions, LBO and merger consequences.
- A quantified work history that separates live mandates from pitch work.
- GPA, and standardized test scores where the bank requests them for junior roles.
- Licenses and exams — Series 79 and Series 63 once registered, or the SIE if completed.
Because analysts are hired in volume and reviewed quickly, the resume is sorted by two questions: which transactions have you touched, and what did you personally build? Everything else is supporting detail. A page that answers both questions clearly does not need decoration.
Investment Banking Resume Example
Example resume
A one-page, ATS-safe investment banking resume with a deal record and technical toolkit. This is the structure our builder produces — switch templates, export PDF or DOCX, no account needed.
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How to frame deal experience
A deal list is not a list of clients. Each entry should tell the reader the transaction type, the size, the sector, and the part of the process you owned — the model, the diligence, the memo, the management presentation or the closing mechanics.
- Lead with the transaction, not the client: “Sell-side M&A — $1.6B industrial platform” reads better than a company name that confidentiality prevents you from using.
- State your role with concrete nouns: operating model, dilution analysis, buyer universe, data room, CIM.
- Separate live mandates from pitches. Recruiters discount a list of unclosed pitch work, so label closed transactions clearly.
- Anonymize sensibly: industry, approximate size and deal type are enough for a resume.
- Keep the most recent and largest transactions first, and do not pad the list with small add-ons.
- Use one line per deal where possible, then a second line only when your workstream needs explaining.
The deal sheet: what each entry needs
- Transaction type — sell-side, buy-side, financing, carve-out or restructuring.
- Size and sector — for example, a $240M software add-on or a $1.6B industrials platform.
- Your workstream — model, valuation, diligence, memo or process management.
- Outcome and timing — closed, signed, announced or in progress, with the year.
- Client name — only when the engagement is public and you have permission to reference it.
Modeling and technical keywords
The technical screen is real: a modeling test or a detailed interview usually follows. Claim only what you can build from a blank sheet under time pressure, because every item on the page is an invitation to demonstrate it.
- Valuation: DCF, WACC, trading comps, precedent transactions, LBO, merger model, accretion/dilution
- Analysis: three-statement modeling, scenario and sensitivity analysis, purchase price allocation support, quality of earnings
- Process: CIM drafting, management presentations, data room management, buyer outreach, fairness analysis
- Tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Capital IQ, FactSet, Bloomberg, PitchBook
- Licenses: Series 79, Series 63, SIE where completed
GPA, school and format conventions
Investment banking is one of the few fields where a GPA is expected on the resume rather than optional, particularly for campus and junior hires. State it exactly as your school reports it — for example, 3.8/4.0 — and be ready to verify it during the process.
- One page for analysts and associates; two pages only for very experienced laterals or managing-director-level hires.
- Education at the top while you are a student or recent graduate; move it below experience after a few years on the desk.
- Include GPA and, where asked, standardized test scores for junior roles.
- List the degree, school, graduation year and any honors in a consistent order.
- No photo, no graphics, no color blocks. The document should read like every other banker's resume, because unusual formatting is itself a screening risk.
- Use standard finance terms for titles, deal types and processes so the reader does not have to translate.
ATS notes for investment banking resumes
- Banks run applications through large systems, so keep one column and plain headings.
- Export a text-based PDF unless the portal asks for DOCX.
- Put deal keywords in the deal experience bullets, where both the parser and the interviewer read them.
- Write abbreviations out in full the first time, then use the short form.
- Write every date the same way and list roles newest first.
- Paste the text into a plain document to confirm nothing reordered before you submit.
Deal sheets, GPA lines and education blocks follow conventions because banks screen in volume on an analyst class. ShitResume keeps every template on one linear document, so the deal record parses in the order you wrote it and the exported PDF or DOCX is the same one-pager the recruiter opens. Free, no account attached.
Common investment banking resume mistakes
- Inflating deal sizes or claiming a role you did not hold.
- Listing client names with no transaction detail attached.
- Padding the deal sheet with pitches that never closed.
- Claiming modeling skills you cannot demonstrate in a test.
- Omitting GPA when the process expects it.
- Using a designed template, color, or more than one page.
ShitResume costs nothing and asks for nothing: every template and export is free, and the page is built inside your browser, so live mandate names and deal sizes stay off any server. No account, no trial clock. When the next analyst class opens, the deal record still has to fit one page and read the way the desk expects.
Skills and keywords for this role
Use the terms that genuinely describe your work — an interviewer will ask about anything you list.
- Transactions: sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, leveraged buyouts, carve-outs, add-on acquisitions, restructurings
- Modeling: DCF, trading comps, precedent transactions, LBO, merger model, accretion/dilution
- Process: due diligence, CIM drafting, management presentations, data room management, buyer outreach
- Tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Capital IQ, FactSet, Bloomberg, PitchBook
- Licenses: Series 79, Series 63, SIE where completed
- Sectors: choose the two or three where your deals sit — industrials, technology, healthcare, consumer
Frequently asked questions
How long should an investment banking resume be?
One page for analysts, summer analysts and most associates. The field expects a dense single page, and a second page is reserved for experienced laterals or managing directors with a long transaction record. If your one page feels crowded, cut older or less relevant material rather than spilling over.
Should I include my GPA on an investment banking resume?
Yes for campus and junior hires, because banks commonly screen on it. State it exactly as your school reports it, for example 3.8/4.0, and be prepared to verify it. If your GPA is below a firm's typical range, emphasize major GPA, standardized test scores, or a strong record of promotions where those are relevant, but never alter the number.
Do I need deal experience to get an investment banking job?
For campus and summer analyst roles, no — internships, case competitions and finance coursework are the usual entry evidence. For lateral hires, live transaction exposure is the main screen, so describe transferable modeling and process work from adjacent fields such as transaction services, valuations or corporate development. If your deals cannot be named, the size, sector and your workstream still count.
How do I describe deals that are confidential?
Anonymize the client and keep the substance: transaction type, approximate size, sector, and the work you personally completed. “Sell-side M&A — $1.6B industrial platform, built the DCF and precedent transactions analysis” says everything a recruiter needs without breaching confidentiality. Never name a client unless the engagement is public or you have explicit permission.
Which modeling skills should I list?
DCF, trading comps, precedent transactions, LBO and merger models are the core set, with scenario and sensitivity analysis underneath. List only what you can build unaided, because interviews frequently include a modeling test or a whiteboard exercise. If your experience is partial, be precise about which parts you have owned, such as the DCF but not the full merger model.
Do I need an MBA for investment banking?
No for the analyst role, which hires primarily from undergraduate and internship pipelines. The MBA is the common route into the associate role, particularly for career changers, and some banks also promote analysts internally or hire experienced laterals. If you are targeting an associate seat without an MBA, lead with direct deal experience and technical depth.