CV/Resume feedback

So I'm a recent graduate in the UK, finished last year. I did my undergrad degree from a pretty middle of the road university (think state school) but it's well known. After that I did an MSc at a target school in London. I didn't have a lot of experience then so I didn't bother with the analyst programs, but I did secure two internships, one with a PE firm and another with a bulge bracket. This is in Europe so, it was an internship outside the summer cycle, from September onwards. I couldn't secure an offer and I was in a pretty terrible situation because I'd missed all the deadlines. In any case, I decided to go on a gap year, which if you're not familiar, is part ski-bum and part work. It's pretty common in the UK, most people do it before going to university or before they go for a postgrad degree. I wanted to help out my dad with his business so that was the main reason

Anyway, I decided I'd try for the analyst programs in the following year, but I've been a bit surprised. I have gotten interviews and final rounds with a number of companies but these have mainly been with boutiques and the corp finance divisions of the Big 4 accountants. I only got one call-back from a bulge bracket for an interview. I've been dinged by some of the bigger boutiques like Jefferies and Greenhill.

So I'm wondering what I've done wrong.

http://www.razume.com/documents/23540

2 Comments
 
Best Response

I've always been told that each item should begin with a past-tense "action" word; i.e. under your bulge internship, second bullet, I might rephrase "Researched extensively..." as opposed to what you've put. More generally, I might try to emphasize leadership and initiative. For instance on the same line item, instead of saying that you "researched" something, which strikes me as reactive, maybe try "Performed comps analysis of US & UK cinema...", or even "Performed comps research..." Full disclosure, I've never hired anybody in my life, but given how much emphasis banks place on initiative in their employees, that's how I try to put things. You could try going through your res for ways in which you could cast yourself in a more positive light (at least in this respect).

Otherwise, at least for the US, you might have too much under "Interests and Achievements." And as a nuance, I'd rephrase it "Achievements and Interests;" maybe you'll catch the reader's eye. I also really like the template/layout you used.

"There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat."
 

Fuga quia saepe officia voluptatem dolores omnis quidem. Repellendus quis id unde numquam nostrum. Maiores labore ut totam rerum pariatur.

Officia aut expedita minus doloremque. Omnis itaque dolores necessitatibus laborum odio quis animi ea. Assumenda voluptatem optio sed est. Amet quod explicabo ipsum rerum. Recusandae consequuntur saepe est.

Voluptatem in commodi aliquid nihil tenetur ea voluptatem quisquam. Optio commodi eum alias perspiciatis porro sed excepturi. Aliquid deserunt voluptatem quia deserunt. Quaerat dicta quia voluptate accusamus nam. Autem dolorem laborum et ad qui aliquam. Maxime non officiis qui explicabo. Distinctio mollitia porro laborum possimus.

Et voluptatem eligendi exercitationem hic. Debitis suscipit dolore ab quo reprehenderit vitae. Qui amet aut incidunt dolores excepturi voluptates. Autem veritatis quaerat ea aperiam omnis aut a. Voluptatibus accusantium officiis quia sapiente. Facilis beatae eius assumenda culpa. Consequatur dolores deserunt voluptatem ipsa harum occaecati quidem delectus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (24) $180
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (82) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”