Does my resume suck

I am having a hell of a time getting an internship for the summer. I have applied to about 100 places and have had a few interviews but no offers. So I am not sure if my resume sucks or if I suck at interviewing. I want to go into IB after graduation and long term go into PE. Any feedback would be appreciated.

 
Most Helpful

Hey mate,

I don't think your resume by any means "sucks," however it could certainly do with a little work.

First of all, I wouldn't consider the experience you've listed as particularly relevant to IBD. While, during the early stages of your career, it is acceptable to list any job experience you've had, I think you need to refine what you've written to make it more IB specific. For your experience with Morey Airplane Company, for example, instead of only saying you served as a "lead trainer," try to also mention how you managed the team as you supported each individual's development. Similarly, there's a lot of quasi-technical detail that a hiring manager in IBD simply won't be interested in (e.g. checking oil levels, cleaning windows, etc) - focus on revenue generation and any project work (especially if it centres on business development) that you undertook.

Secondly, the way you've described your extra-curricular activities is very fluffy. For your Finance & Investment Society involvement, check your tenses (e.g. "launching" vs "launched" - hint, the latter is correct). Also, more generally, remove any phrases that explicitly tell a recruiter what your participation implies (e.g. "teamwork, perseverance, and adaptability to changing conditions" under your mountain climbing section). The mountain climbing segment is interesting and will help differentiate you from other candidates - explaining why it is relevant removes any sheen and makes it seem like you lack confidence.

Finally, shorten your bullet points. Bullet points, in a strict grammatical sense, are not full sentences (hence why you're not supposed to end them with a full-stop, although this is increasingly subjective). Keep them to once sentence in length. What you do well is to start each bullet with an "action" phrase (e.g. developed, supported, communicated) - this is snappy and to-the-point: keep doing this!

As a more general point, consider to what roles you're applying. I know you want to do IBD after uni (and then transition to PE), and this admirable, however, overall, I'd consider your CV a C+/B-. I think you'll therefore struggle to get a foot-in at a BB. My suggestion would be to target smaller, local IBs and to try and build up your reputation from there. Alternatively, consider accountancy or consulting. Both careers will provide you with a step-up to transitioning to larger-scale IB at a later date, and PE thereafter.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer them.

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde
 

I really appreciate the feedback on my post. I have a few question I am wondering if you could help with.

  • I see what your saying about how the way I've described my extra-curricualrs. How would you suggest I make it less "fluffy"?

  • What are some things that I could do or add to my resume that would move it from a C+/B- range to more of a B+/A-? GPA wise I am not going to get much improvement. I am a Junior in terms of graduation status but a Senior in terms of credit standing. I spent my first two years in school as a mechanical engineering major and got a C in two 5 credit engineering classes that are dragging my GPA down.

  • Do you think there is anyway that I can use my engineering experience to improve my resume?

Thanks in advance I really appreciate the help!

 

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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde

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