How to Write an Investment Banking Resume in 8 Steps

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published 23 May 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Investment banking involves allocating money into funds and investments that result in returns. An investment banker develops portfolios, assesses potential returns and meets with clients to discuss their investment needs. If you're applying for jobs in the investment banking industry, learning more about how to write an effective resume can help you increase your chances of receiving a job offer. In this article, we explain what an investment banking resume is, detail the steps you can follow to write one, provide a template and an example resume and offer helpful tips for writing more effective resumes.

What is an investment banking resume?

An investment banking resume is a document that shows your skills, experience and education and how it makes you a great candidate for an investment banking role. Investment banking is an industry in which professional provide financial and investing advice to businesses, individuals and governments. They help companies understand where to invest, how to allocate their funds and the best methods for making a high return on investment.

How to write an investment banking resume

Writing an effective resume can improve your chances of getting an interview with a hiring manager. Here are some steps you can follow to write a high-quality banking resume:

1. Professionally format the document

The first step to writing an effective banking resume is using professional formatting. Avoid using script-based fonts, as they can make it difficult for a hiring manager to read your resume. Consider fonts like Georgia, Arial or Times New Roman to give your resume a professional look. It's also best to avoid including images or bright colours for an investment resume, as a simple look can help you better emphasise your information and reduce distractions.

2. List your contact information

It's important to list your contact information on your resume because the hiring manager may use it to schedule an interview with you. Be sure to include your name, phone number, home address and email. Ensure to use a professional-looking email and a phone numbers that's easily reachable.

3. Create a professional summary

A professional summary is where you briefly explain who you are and what your professional goals are. The professional summary comes after your contact information and before your work experience and skills sections. This is often the portion of the resume that a hiring manager reads first, so it's beneficial to include your most impressive achievements. You can include aspects of your professional profile like total years of experience, industry accolades, skills and achievements.

4. Describe your relevant experience

In the experience section of your resume, list your previous positions in reverse chronological order. For each role, include your title, name of employer and period of employment and then list out your primary responsibilities and any notable achievements with bullet points. If the first listed position is your current job, describe your duties in the present tense. For previous positions, you can describe your duties in the past tense. Ensure to use action verbs, such as executed, planned, organised and coordinated, to make your duties seem more impactful.

5. Highlight your investment banking skills

Investment bankers use their skills to understand numbers, assess situations and communicate clearly with clients. In the skills section of your resume, you can highlight the skills that are most relevant to investment banking. Consider reviewing job listings prior to writing your resume so you can determine which skills are most important to employers. Here are some investment banking skills you can consider including on your resume:

technical proficiency
communication
active listening
negotiation
financial knowledge
accounting
attention to detail
collaboration
leadership

6. Include your academic information

Many employers prefer investment banking candidates to have at least a bachelor's degree for entry-level positions in investment banking, like analysts and associates. Employers may require relevant advanced education, such as a master's, for more senior roles. Include your educational information on your resume to show a hiring manager you meet a role's educational requirements. You can include information like the name of the university, the period you attended and the degree you earned.

7. Detail your certifications and licenses

Some employers may require candidates to have certain licences or certifications for specific investment banking roles. Ensure to include a section in your resume that lists out any relevant qualifications you hold that are currently active. Include the name of the certification or licence and the year you earned it.

8. Thoroughly edit and proofread the resume

Before submitting your resume, ensure to read through it to identify and fix any spelling, grammar and formatting errors. You can also assess your wording to ensure you're highlighting the right information in each section. Ensure all the information you include on your resume is accurate, such as dates of employment. Consider asking a friend, family member or colleague to help you proofread for spelling and grammar errors. You can also use online grammar-checking software or contract a professional resume writing service.

Investment banking resume template

This is a template you can fill in when writing your resume:

[Full name]
[Phone number] | [Professional email address] | [Location] | [Professional website]

Professional Summary

[Brief summary that mentions your core competencies, work experience and career achievements]

Work Experience

[Job Title], [Start date]–[End date]
[Company Name], [Location]

[Strong verb + job duty + impact]
[Strong verb + job duty + impact]
[Strong verb + job duty + impact]

[Job Title], [Start date]–[End date]
[Company Name], [Location]

[Strong verb + job duty + impact]
[Strong verb + job duty + impact]
[Strong verb + job duty + impact]

Skills

[Relevant skill], [Relevant skill], [Relevant skill], [Relevant skill]

Education

[Degree earned]
[Institution name], [Graduation year]

Certifications

[Certification, with date received]
[Certification, with date received]

Example resume for investment banking

Here's an example resume for investment banking you can use for reference when writing your own:

Yaling Chao

5412 2134 | yaling.chao@email.com | Kowloon City | yalingchaoinvestments.com

Professional Summary

Dedicated and effective investment banking professional with nine years of experience in the industry. Produced a 25% return on investment for clients in 2020, and 27% in 2021. Awarded the Recognition of Excellence in Investment Banking achievement in 2021 for my outstanding performance in the field. Seeking a workplace in which I can use my talents to increase the returns of clients, inspire positive change and consistently overcome challenges.

Work Experience

Vice president, September 2015–Current
Guanya Investments, Kowloon City

manage relationships with clients with a 94% retention rate
produce ROIs of $600 million or more consistently each quarter
attain funding for investments and invests with a 127% success rate
implement new systems for tracking returns to reduce mistakes by 14%
hire investment analysts to make the team twice as productive

Analyst, June 2013–September 2015
Zhen Banking and Analyst Inc., Kowloon City

assessed information to identify investment opportunities
improved team efficiency by over 65% in a single quarter
collaborated with other analysts to perform equity research

Intern, January 2013–May 2013
Na Lin Incorporated, Kowloon City

utilised investing formulas to accurately assess the market
produced a research paper on current investing trends
lead a team during mock investment tests and gained over 176% returns