Tailor your CV for Investment Bankers roles
Banking CVs are read by people who skim hundreds in a sitting and follow rigid conventions: one page, deal experience itemized with transaction sizes, and zero tolerance for fluff. ATS filters check for M&A, DCF, LBO, and due diligence; human reviewers immediately look for league-table-style deal lines — '$450M sell-side M&A, industrials' — and your specific role on each.
Tailor by group and level: deal execution and modeling depth for analyst and associate seats, origination and client relationships for VP and above. Quantify your contribution per transaction — models built, diligence workstreams led, pages of the CIM you owned. Listing 'financial modeling' without named transaction types reads as a candidate who has not closed anything.
Key skills recruiters look for
CV tips that actually move the needle
Itemize deals with size, type, and your role
Format each as its own line: 'Buy-side advisory, $320M cross-border industrials acquisition — built merger model, led financial due diligence across 4 workstreams'. Deal lines are the currency of banking CVs; aggregate totals ('$2B+ in transactions') support but never replace them.
Name the models you personally built
Specify DCF, LBO, merger (accretion/dilution), and operating models, with context: 'Built the LBO model underpinning a $150M sponsor bid, including management case and covenant analysis'. Interviewers test modeling claims directly, so precision here sets up your technical rounds.
Follow banking format conventions exactly
One page, conservative font, GPA if above 3.5, SAT/test scores for analysts at some banks, deal experience above education after your first role. Bankers screen for conformity to the format as a proxy for attention to detail — creative layouts get binned.
Show pitch and client exposure honestly
Distinguish live deals from pitches: 'Authored 15+ pitchbooks; 3 converted to mandates' is credible and shows origination exposure. Claiming closed-deal credit you cannot defend in an interview is the fastest way to fail a superday — banking diligence applies to candidates too.
Frequently asked questions
What keywords do ATS scan for in investment banking CVs?
M&A, DCF, LBO, due diligence, pitchbook, valuation, capital markets, IPO, debt and equity financing, and comparable company analysis, plus 'financial modeling' and 'CIM'. Sector terms matter for coverage groups — 'industrials', 'healthcare', 'TMT'. Series licenses (SIE, 79, 63) are matched as exact strings.
How long should an investment banking CV be?
One page, full stop — through MD level. The format is standardized: header, experience with deal lines, education with GPA, skills and licenses. Reviewers interpret a second page as not understanding the industry. Compress older roles to single lines before ever spilling over.
How do I list deals bound by confidentiality?
Anonymize but keep substance: 'Sell-side advisory for a $200–300M revenue specialty chemicals company' preserves size, sector, and deal type without naming parties. Announced transactions can be named. Never invent or inflate deal values — references and superday questions verify them quickly.