Investment Banker Resume Tips: What Hiring Managers Look For
Resume advice specific to Investment Banker roles — which metrics to include, which keywords pass ATS screening, and how to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
5 Resume Tips for Investment Bankers
1
Mention every deal you've worked on with the deal value: "Advised $2.3B acquisition of Acme Corp by XYZ Inc"
2
Include your GPA if above 3.7 — IB still screens on this at the analyst level
3
List every financial model type you can build: LBO, DCF, merger model, IPO model
4
Name the banks and groups: Morgan Stanley TMT, Goldman Sachs M&A — group prestige matters
5
Include any M&A competitions or stock pitch competitions from college
ATS Keywords to Include
Use these exact terms from your skills and experience — ATS systems scan for specific keyword matches, not paraphrases.
Financial ModelingValuation (DCF, LBO, Comps)Pitch Deck CreationClient ManagementM&A AnalysisCapital MarketsExcel (advanced)PowerPointCredit AnalysisIndustry Research
Universal Resume Rules
- One page for under 5 years of experience; two pages for senior roles
- PDF format unless the posting specifically requests Word (.docx)
- Quantify every achievement possible — numbers create credibility
- Standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills) for ATS compatibility
- Tailor keywords from each specific job description before applying