Investment Banking CV: Template & How to Write

As an investment banker, you're well-versed in various aspects of the business, working across departments like acquisitions, IPOs, M&As, accounting, legal, and PR. So why is it so difficult to put together a decent CV?

This article has done the prep work for you, presenting a data-driven approach that has proven effective with HR executives. Read on for an example of an effective UK investment banking CV template, along with advice and examples to help you elevate yours.

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Investment banking CV template

Now you know what to put in a CV. Here's how to lay out a professional CV for investment banking step by step.

1. How to structure your investment banking CV?

Creating an effective investment banking CV requires a structure that highlights your most relevant experiences and skills. These qualities not only make for a strong CV but also reflect the attributes of a successful investment banker.

Follow these key CV formatting rules for an impactful CV of an investment banker:

• Leave your personal details near the top of your CV and arrange them so that they are clear and easy to find.
• Use subheadings and as much white space as possible to clearly break your CV structure down into sections.
• Choose an understated and clean-looking CV font like Arial, Noto, or Garamond, or stick with the default, like Liberation or Calibri.
• Use professional language and ensure your content is free from errors.
• Always attach your CV as a PDF file unless explicitly asked for something else.
• Stick to the right CV length and keep to one page per decade of experience, with a maximum of two pages.

Regarding CV design, it's better to avoid creative CV templates and excessive use of colours and graphics. Investment banking is a relatively conservative industry, so a simple CV template will work best. 

2. Start your investment banking CV with a personal statement

Open your investment banker's CV with a strong and catchy personal statement. Like a firm handshake and proffered business card, your personal statement constitutes a first impression of you as a banker. A good CV personal profile does three things:

• Introduces you as a banker
• Shows what you have to offer
• Shows that your goals line up with the company’s goals.

You’ll be writing a new personal statement for each new job application. To streamline the process, simply answer the questions below using a total of 3–4 sentences and 50–150 words:

• What kind of investment banker are you?
• How many years of experience do you have, and in which contexts?
• What’s your most impressive and relevant achievement?
• What’s your most unique CV achievement? (Optional)
• What are you hoping to be able to achieve in this job? (For your employer, not yourself).

Your application might be parsed by an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) before a human being ever sets eyes on it. This is just one more reason why you should be sure to mention the position you’re applying for as well as the company name. Use keywords from the job advert as well, but don’t overdo it.

Your personal statement appears at the top of your CV, but it’s best to write it last. You’ll be able to do a much better job once you have your job descriptions and skills list prepared (and that's why it's also called a CV summary).

Investment banking CV personal statement example

Dynamic, plug-and-play investment banker with 5+ years of experience in both bank and boutique contexts, encompassing a wide variety of capital-raising and advisory activities. Currently raising £35 million in capital for two companies with unique diabetes-related technologies. Eager to leverage analytical skills, procedural precision, and extensive professional network to help Golberg Zacks raise capital and advise its clients.

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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3. Add a work experience section that gets results

Use a chronological format for the work experience section of your investment banking CV. This means starting from your most recent position and working your way back from there. This is what hiring managers are most used to, and it’ll be more easily parsed by an ATS. 

Use the following template to create a subheading for each job description:

[Job Title]

[Company Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

Now, let's tackle a slightly more challenging part: crafting strong bullet points for your investment banking CV. Here are some key tips:

• Focus on achievements: Populate each job description with achievements rather than duties.
• Limit to six examples: List up to six achievements under each subheading.
• Quantify each result: Quantify every bullet point, mentioning tangible results of your actions.
• Use accomplishment statements: Get inspired by the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your bullet points.

If you’re applying for an investment banking internship or an entry-level position without any experience, focus on showing transferable skills by listing any placement and volunteer work you’ve done. Add your work experience section after your education section, and consider if a student or graduate CV wouldn’t be a more effective approach.

Investment banking CV job description example

4. Include an education section in your CV for investment banking

For a perfect CV, stick with reverse-chronological order for your education section. For your university degrees, include the name and class of your degree, the years you attended (with an expected graduation date if you’re still studying), and the name of the institution and its location.

As it is rather unlikely to get an investment banker job without a higher degree, you can skip adding your high school education. But if you lack work experience, you may want to add bullet points here to highlight your achievements or areas of excellence while studying (extracurricular activities, for example).

Investment banking CV education section example

5. Showcase your investment banking skills in your CV

The data-driven approach to your investment banking CV continues into your skills section. You’ll end up with a list of 5–10 hard and soft skills that’ll really set you apart from the competition and make recruiters sit up and take notice.

Set your CV aside for the moment and open a new document. List as many of your investment banking skills as you can. Aim for a good mix of soft, hard, and IT skills. Once you’re done, add a sentence to each skill that describes how and when you’ve demonstrated that skill.

If you can’t come up with such a sentence, then that skill doesn’t make the cut. Your master list will include only skills that you can readily back up with concrete examples. Copy across 5–10 skills into your CV that match the requirements in the advert. Do this for every application, but keep the same master list.

Investment banking CV skills

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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6. Add extra sections to your investment banker CV

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to paint as full a portrait of yourself as an investment banking professional as possible—include extra sections in your CV to fill in the blank spots. This is the place to add any extra qualifications (ACA, CFA, etc.), achievements, awards, hobbies or interests.

Do you speak any languages other than English? Include a languages section if you do. Speaking a foreign language is still relatively uncommon in the UK and is a great way to stand out. It’s an especially well-received attribute in investment banking, not only because of the cognitive benefits it brings.

Save space for more relevant sections, and don't list references on your CV. Recruiters know they can ask for them.

Investment banking CV additional sections sample

7. Write an investment banking cover letter to go with your CV

Your investment banking job application will have two main parts: an investment banker's CV and a cover letter. Most employers still expect that you’ll send your CV with a cover letter. You should definitely do so unless you’ve been explicitly asked not to.

The good news is that you’re easily halfway there to having your investment banking cover letter written if you’ve already prepared your job descriptions and skills for your investment banking CV. Like much of your CV, you should write a new cover letter for each job application or know which sections to swap out.

It should follow the standard British business letter format and include the following cover letter parts:

• A properly set out header
• An appropriate salutation
• A strong, attention-grabbing cover letter opening
• A showcase of your professional achievements
• A solid cover letter wrap-up and CTA
• The right sign-off for your particular case.

How long should your cover letter be? Over half an A4 page long but no longer than one A4 page, about 200–350 words in total. It should also be well-balanced in terms of its proportions:

• Opening paragraph—between 60 and 80 words
• Main body—between 120 and 200 words
• Closing paragraph—between 40 and 60 words.

Once you've done this, proofread and spellcheck your investment banking CV and cover letter. If possible, get a second pair of eyes on both documents.

And one last CV tip: follow up if you haven’t heard back after a week. A quick phone call or email is all it takes to put your mind at ease and can only put you in a positive light.

I hope this article has helped you end up with an investment banking CV you can be proud of. Is there anything that you’d like more information about? Do you have any experiences or advice to share? Leave your feedback below. Good luck!

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.