RECRUITMENT PREP BOOTCAMP - SESSION 1: INTRO TO FINANCE RECRUITMENT AND RESUME WORKSHOP - MCGILL INVESTMENT CLUB
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Recruitment Prep Bootcamp Session 1: Intro to Finance Recruitment and Resume Workshop January 27th, 2021 (6:00 PM – 8:00PM ET) mcgillinvestment.club
Agenda
I. Introductions & Curriculum (6:00pm)
II. Finance Career Paths (6:10pm)
I. Buy-Side Career Paths & Roles
II. Sell-Side Career Paths & Roles
III. IB & PE Recruitment Overview (6:30pm)
I. Recruitment Process Overview
II. Recruiting Roadmap
III. Resources
IV. Resume & Cover Letter Workshop (7:00pm)
I. General Application Tips
II. Resume Tips
III. Cover Letter Tips
IV. Live Editing
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 2
Introductions & Curriculum Section I
Introduction – Sisi Wang
▪ The Beginning
o Born and raised in China
o Moved to Ancaster, Ontario for high school
o Chose McGill b/c the city & its international reputation
▪ @McGill
o Studied Honours in Mathematics in U0 and U1
o Loved the practical aspect of business so applied for
Honours in Investment Management and got in
o Wanted to help more students like me → got involved with
MIC and so far, the experience has been amazing!!!
▪ Work Experience
o Chilled during my U0 summer (I was still in Science at the
time) → no stress if you still don’t know what you wanted to
do! I got my yoga teacher certification that summer!
o Real estate private equity summer analysts in Toronto
during my U1 summer
o Investment banking summer analyst in Toronto (virtually)
during my U2 summer & absolutely enjoyed it ☺
Recruitment Grind Placement
2 First Round Interviews
2 Superdays
Morgan Stanley Toronto
(Summer 2020, Full-Time 2021)
1 City
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 4
Introduction – Jesse Li
▪ The Beginning
o Born and raised on the West Island of Montreal
o Pursued Sciences in high school and CEGEP
o Chose McGill b/c of cheap tuition $$
▪ @McGill
o Just took 10 core classes in U1
o Wanted to learn more about valuation techniques so
applied for Honours in Investment Management
o Got involved with too many clubs in my first year, finally
settled on PennyDrops then MIC (best one!)
▪ Work Experience
o Business Analyst at Scotiabank Toronto U0 Summer
o Corporate Development at BRP Montreal U1 Summer
o Private Equity at Ulysses Management NYC U2 Summer
o Pivoted to Management Consulting at Bain for FT
o Strategy & Business Ops. at startup U3 Winter Part-time
Recruitment Grind (Summer 2020) Placement
20 First Round Interviews
8 Superdays
Ulysses Management (Summer 2020)
3 Cities Bain & Company (Full-Time 2021)
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 5
Curriculum
I. Session 1: Intro to Finance Recruitment and Resume Workshop (January 27th)
a. What is Finance Recruiting?
b. What are the Different Fields within Finance Recruiting?
c. Overview of the Recruitment Process
d. General Application Tips
e. Resume Tips
f. Cover Letter Tips
II. Session 2: Networking, Interview Preparation, & Behavioral Interview Workshop (Tentative: February 10th)
a. Networking Via Email, Phone, and In-Person
b. Importance of Following Up
c. General Finance Interview Tips
d. Interview Etiquette (In-Person & Virtually)
e. Figuring Out Your Story
f. Common Behavioral Questions
g. Odd-ball Questions
III. Session 3: Technical Interview Workshop (Tentative: February 24th)
a. Accounting, Equity Value, and Enterprise Value
b. Valuation
c. Advanced Concepts (Market Questions, Stock Pitch)
IV. Session 4: Mock Interviews (Tentative: March 10th)
a. Importance of Mocks
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 6
Finance Career Paths Section II
Finance Industry Overview
Buy-Side vs. Sell-Side
▪ Finance is the management, creation, and study of money and investments.
▪ In finance, the buy-side is comprised of institutional investors (investment managers, pension funds, etc.) that deploy
capital into a variety of asset classes (equities, fixed income, real estate, etc.).
▪ On the other hand, the sell-side facilitates these transactions by offering a variety of securities and financial products
that are then sold to buy-side clients.
Bonds or Shares
“Sell Side”
Contacts “Buy Side”
Mergers & Fund
Acquisitions Managers
Lenders Banks Institutions
Investors
Capital
Corporations
Source: MIC 2020-21 Recruitment Handbook (Frank Shen)
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 8Buy-Side Careers
Private Equity (PE) Investment Managers
▪ What: Firms who directly invest in privately held ▪ What: Professionals who invest in portfolios of securities
companies with the goal of increasing their value over and assets on behalf of clients with various investment
time before eventually selling the company for a profit. objectives and parameters.
▪ Two types of PE investments: growth equity & leveraged ▪ Investment management firms hire portfolio managers,
buyouts (LBOs) research analysts, and support staff.
▪ When: Historically, PE firms have not extended return ▪ When: The timeline varies from firm to firm, but typically
offers to undergraduates, but now some firms have. takes place later in the cycle. You can expect to receive
Recruitment timelines will vary from firm to firm. an interview anytime between July and February.
Venture Capital (VC) Hedge Funds
▪ What: Financing that investors can provide to startup ▪ What: Actively managed alternative investments that
companies with long-term growth potential. typically utilize non-traditional investment strategies or
asset classes to try to generate outsized returns.
▪ Taking on significant amounts of risk, VC places a lot of
focus on improving operations and growing the company. ▪ Short-selling and employing leverage are typical strategies
▪ When: Historically, breaking into VC is easiest with ▪ When: Historically, experience in IB and/or MBA offers the
experience in IB, consulting, or with a startup background. best entrance opportunity into hedge funds, but some
However, some firms have started to recruit undergrads. firms have started to offer positions to undergrads.
Recruitment timelines will vary from firm to firm. Recruitment timelines will vary from firm to firm.
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 9Sell-Side Careers
Investment Banking (IB) Equity/Credit Research
▪ What: Act as intermediaries between corporations and ▪ What: Analysts provide insights, potential investments,
capital markets and trade ideas to S&T teams and investors.
▪ When: Summer recruiting begins and ends a full year ▪ Research analysts communicate with management for
before internships start. Interviews for offices located in companies they cover and generate updates and reports.
the United States (New York, Chicago, San Francisco)
start in March/April and end in September. ▪ When: Historically, experience as an IB analyst and/or
MBA offers the best entrance opportunity since very few
▪ Canadian banks kick off their regular process at the end firms recruit for equity research roles at the undergrad
of August, whereas global banks with Canadian offices level. Recruitment timelines will vary from firm to firm
(Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, etc.) will often recruit but usually follow the firms’ IB timelines.
throughout the spring and summer.
▪ Some Canadian banks (BMO) will do accelerated, or
diversity rounds even in June/July! “Chinese Wall”
Private Side Public Side
Sales & Trading (S&T)
▪ What: Traders make markets in stocks, bonds, and
derivatives while salespeople own the client relationship
on behalf of the bank. M&A S&T Research
▪ The S&T floor is split up into groups like equities, fixed
income, currencies, commodities, and structured products. Restructuring
▪ When: Interviews typically begin after IB recruiting ends.
The earliest Canadian banks will kick off their process in DCM
early September, while others will begin in October. ECM
The focus of MIC’s recruitment prep bootcamp is on investment banking and private equity!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 10Sell-Side Careers: Investment Banking
IB Structure – Product vs. Coverage Groups
Product Groups
Debt Capital Markets (DCM) Equity Capital Markets (ECM)
▪ Differentiated by what types of services the bank provides
Leveraged Finance (LevFin) Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
▪ Analysts will always work on a specific type of deal
Restructuring (Rx)
▪ Able to work across multiple coverage industries
Coverage Groups
▪ Differentiated by what types of clients the bank serves Consumer & Retail (C&R) Diversified Industrials (DI)
▪ Covering companies in a certain industry, coverage group
bankers can work across multiple products
Financial Institutions Group (FIG) Healthcare (HC)
▪ Also called industry groups
Tech, Media & Telecom (TMT) Gaming, Lodging & Leisure (GLL)
Natural Resources (NR) Financial Sponsors (PE firms)
Not all banks will follow this structure, therefore please do take the time to read over
each bank’s profile especially before the interview – it may come up as an interview question!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 11Sell-Side Careers: Investment Banking
Types of Investment Banks
Bulge Brackets (BB): The world’s largest and premier global investment banks. They provide both advisory and underwriting services,
as well as equity research, sales & trading services, and asset management.
Boutique Banks: Boutiques often only offer M&A or restructuring reservices. They specialize in terms of coverage, depending on the
experience of its bankers.
Toronto New York Other
Bulge Brackets Canadian Banks Bulge Brackets Boutiques Other Cities
Montreal
Calgary
Houston
Always make sure to brush up on your industry knowledge – it could be one of the first things
interviewers ask!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 12IB & PE Recruitment Overview Section III
Recruiting Timeline
American Recruiting Canadian Recruiting
▪ Now – a lot of firms will open apps soon ▪ Historically – November (every year is sooner)
▪ Interviews will take place May/June at the latest ▪ Now – varies greatly firm to firm (ex. CPPIB
wrapped up late September while Citi Toronto didn’t
▪ Will vary TREMENDOUSLY firm to firm (i.e., start till January)
Evercore/PJT wrapped up by April/May)
▪ For the big Canadian banks, it depends on when the
▪ Expect 1-2 first round interviews via phone, first bank “moves” while BB’s wrap up by September
superday following week
▪ “Accelerated” recruiting will take place as early as
▪ BB’s will 100% be wrapped up by late September August and as late as early October
January June October +
March
▪ Much less structured and longer in duration
▪ Can last from October – April
▪ Includes online aptitude test
▪ Limited OCR for EMEA & APAC, therefore, make
sure you leverage clubs like MBIA and alumni!
EMEA & APAC
Wow … starting the 2022 cycle before 2021 recruiting even finished!
Make sure to bookmark Wall Street Oasis (WSO) on your browser! Periodically browse
the discussion forums for any updates throughout your recruitment process.
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 14OCR vs. Self-Recruiting
On Campus Recruiting (OCR) Self-Recruiting
▪ Submit resumes and cover letters through MyFuture ▪ Going out on your own and pursuing opportunities from
banks that don’t actively hire @McGill
▪ Banks come on campus for “first round interviews”
▪ Network, network, network until you get an interview!
▪ Will typically interview candidates back-to-back
▪ Pros:
▪ Pros:
o You will usually be the only McGill kid while for
o You know your competition American banks, you may be the only Canadian
o Standardized process o If you networked, someone is likely to pull for you
o Chances are that your interviewers are alumni o Less GPA-intensive, especially for American banks
(you can network with them beforehand)
▪ Cons:
▪ Cons:
o Inherently the underdog, there is a reason they don’t
o Screening process is usually very GPA-heavy hire at McGill
unless you have networked with the people
responsible beforehand o You will need to put a lot of time into networking
o People interviewing against you are very similar to ▪ For ALL American jobs, you will have to self-recruit except
you for a select few (see OCR). But with strong HIM and McGill
o Interviewers will be more familiar with courses placement in recent years, there are now alumni to
you’ve taken, and the knowledge expected contact at almost every American bank
Most updated list of US firms that sponsor Canadians
▪ American OCR (Goldman, Evercore, LionTree) in May
▪ Canadian OCR in September/October
Only select American firms will sponsor work visas (Evercore Houston & LionTree NY are targets)
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 15Two Types of Successful Candidates
Who are You?
Academic Anna Culture Chris
▪ Stellar GPA ▪ Very personable and charismatic, fun to be around
▪ Great work experience ▪ Can talk circles, sell anything, pitch anything, great
and natural at interviewing
▪ Great extracurriculars
▪ Can make it through any paper screening process
Key: Networking
Key: Perfecting the Interview
Know who you are! – then play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses…
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 16Understanding What You Want
The First Questions You Should Ask Yourself
While Burton Malkiel once claimed, “a blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a
newspapers’ financial pages could select a portfolio that would do just as well as one
carefully selected by experts” … in finance recruiting you do NOT want to be the
monkey!
Be your own expert instead.
Important Read! A Random Walk Down Wall Street
The What? The Where? The Why?
▪ Banking? S&T? Equity ▪ Sector Breakdown & Product ▪ Interrogate your reasoning
Research? Private Equity? Offering: know what the bank
does in each city ▪ Don’t just be a banker because
▪ Boutique or Bulge Bracket you think it’s sick
▪ Know why you love the sector
▪ Product versus Coverage and city ▪ Find out where you envision
Group* yourself being, and take
▪ Be ready to answer why whatever steps necessary to
▪ Culture versus Prestige NY/Toronto/HK/London get yourself there
▪ Deal-flow versus Exits
Networking can help guide you through these crucial first questions – as you gain experience you
may find that what you initially wanted is vastly different then where you end up being!
*Heads ups: at Canadian banks or BBs, you might not be able to choose your coverage groups all the time
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 17MIC Recruitment Prep Bootcamp Sessions
Recruiting Roadmap (Sample) On Your Own Time!
February
1 2
January
Intro to Recruitment Prep Your Technicals
+ CV & CL Workshop Start ripping them guides!
Walk through the recruitment (Refer to next slide)
process, CV, and CL tips with us
March
5 4 3
Technical Start Networking & Networking & Behavioral
Interview Workshop Applying to Jobs Interview Workshop
Learn how to convey your story Phone calls & zoom calls Get a sense of what you are
and impress your interviewers aside, make sure you follow up! interested in, learn about the
with your stellar technical knowledge industry, and prep for networking
April
6 7
May+ Offer
Master Your Behaviorals & Technicals Interview Time Congratulations!
Continue ripping them guides! After each interview, reflect, and polish up –
(Refer to next slide) there are only a limited number of firms!
Check out our Recruitment Handbook (Link) for a more detailed list of tasks that U0/U1s
should be following to stay on track!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 18Resources
A Lot of Resources Here … But Not Everything Here Need to Be Done to the Tee!
Technicals Behaviorals News, TV, & Podcasts
▪ Breaking Into Wall Street: ▪ There are guides for behaviorals, ▪ News: Financial Times (Link, free
Investment Banking Interview Guide but they are not the most useful access through the McGill VPN)
(Link) ▪ The best way to learn behaviorals ▪ News: Wall Street Journal,
is to PRACTICE Bloomberg, New York Times’
▪ Wall Street Oasis: Investment DealBook
Banking (Link) or Private Equity ▪ WSO Networking on Wall Street
(Link), or Elite Modeling Packages Guide to Getting the Interview ▪ TV: Bloomberg TV (Link)
(Link) ▪ Breaking Into Wall Street: 400 ▪ Podcasts: The Finance Podcast
Investment Banking Interview hosted by Maura Amaya, The
▪ MIC Finance Mock Interviews Questions & Answers Journal by The WSJ & Gimlet,
(every Fridays) Freakonomics Radio
Financial Modeling Books Miscellaneous
▪ Wall Street Prep: Financial ▪ Investment Banking: Valuation, ▪ Bloomberg Market Concepts (Link)
Modeling Course (Link) LBOs, M&A, and IPOs by Joshua ▪ Wall Street Oasis Discussion
▪ Macabus modelling guides Rosembaum (Link) Boards (Link)
▪ Try building a model! (Refer to ▪ The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin ▪ Vault Rankings and Career Guides
MIC’s Investment Committee Graham (Link)
session slides) ▪ Mergers & Inquisitions (Link)
Leverage other McGill students, your seniors, and MIC execs – and when
it is your turn, pay it forward too!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 19Resume & Cover Letter Workshop Section IV
Job Application Overview
Two Main Ways to Find Out About Job Openings
Connections Online Applications
By networking, your connections should 1. Company Website
be able to give you information on when Make sure you are regularly checking to
applications open, who else you can see when application open. As most
contact, and what other steps you can applications are reviewed on a rolling
take to boost your candidacy. basis – the earlier you apply, the better!
1. Gg
▪ Connections can be formed from clubs you are 2. MyFuture
involved with, people you have met through McGill, Most of the job postings on this McGill’s platform are
or through past experiences like internships, OCR. Firms specifically target McGill students as
conferences or competitions …everywhere and candidates they want to hire and they will often come to
anywhere essentially!
campus to give presentations. These are the perfect
▪ Many applications will have a referral section – if networking opportunities! Just because you are
you have managed to impress the people you’ve recruiting through OCR, does NOT mean you
networked with, they will usually agree for you to put shouldn’t network.
their name down in that section.
3. MIC Listserv & MIC Slack Channel
▪ Connections will also make sure that your CV is
noticed by people in charge of recruitment – this The MIC execs are always on the lookout for job
greatly increases your chances of getting an postings – we have fostered our own connections and
interview! we encourage you to do so too! Don’t be afraid to use
the Slack channel to help your peers!!
Stay tune for our second session – all about networking, interview preparation, and behaviorals!
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 21Polishing Up
Resume General Guidelines Cover Letter General Guidelines
▪ Keep them clean and updated ALL THE TIME ▪ Use the same header as your resume
▪ Use the MIC resume template (Link) ▪ Keep the entire document to less than ¾ of a page; think
about quality, not quantity
▪ Keep it to one page and one page only
▪ Focus on elements not found on your resume
▪ EDIT multiple times: 0 tolerance for typos. Proofread.
Have your resume reviewed by as many people (peers, ▪ EDIT multiple times: 0 tolerance for typos
parents, professors, etc.) as possible before you send it out
▪ Have a different cover letter for every firm – it will show
▪ Be honest and truthful – never lie about your if you always use the same one
experiences but be proud of your achievements! o Make sure to highlight contacts that you have
networked with
▪ Consistency is KEY
o Personalize to what unique things you have
o Pay attention to formatting (the structure and focus
learned about the firm
of your resume); margins, alignment, and spacing
o Grammar, verb tenses, numbers Note: Cover letters are becoming more and more obsolete.
As networking becomes more popular, it is replacing
o Canadian vs. American spelling; oxford vs. standard
the need for a cover letter.
comma
o Types of bullets, dashes (- vs. –), dates, bold and
italicized text
Always save your final version in PDF format and give it a logical yet simple name.
Sometimes firms will ask that you combine your resume and cover letter onto one PDF.
These are all essential tasks to do PRIOR to networking – you must have your resume and cover
letter polished before you start reaching out to anyone or applying online
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 22Resume Example
How Can We Turn Johnny’s Good Resume to Excellent?
Johnny Doe
+ 1 (234) 567-8900 • johnny.doe23@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnydoe
EDUCATION
McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management Montreal, Canada
Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Finance, Minor in Marketing; Cumulative GPA: 3.7/4.00 Sep 2017 – May 2021
Distinctions: Dean’s Honour List, Dr. Jane Doe Scholarship
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alfar Capital Management Montreal, Canada
Private Equity Summer Analyst Summer 2019
• Developed business model descriptions, SWOT analyses, industry landscape, and competitor reviews for 5 private companies
• Assisted partners in developing DCF and LBO models to project the buyout feasibility for a specialty distribution company
Appleby College Westmount, Canada
Peer Tutor – Math and Economics Sep 2016 - May 2017
• Worked as a math and economics peer tutor
• Organized and created study documents for students
LEADERSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR
McGill Data Network Montreal, Canada
VP Marketing Oct 2020 – Present
• Launched a new digital marketing strategy to increase McGill Data Network’s social media presence like LinkedIn, Facebook, and
Instagram
McGill Investment Committee Montreal, Canada
Consumers Industry Analyst Oct 2018 – Apr 2018
• Selected to be a part of the 15-person team, tasked to analyze the consumer sector and provide industry trend insights
• Developed stock pitches using valuation methodologies
RBC Investment Banking Case Competition | Finalist Montreal, Canada | March 2019
McGill Trading Simulation | 1st Place, Best Trader Award Montreal, Canada | January 2018
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Language Skills: Fluent in English, advanced in French, intermediate in German
Computer Skills: Advanced in Bloomberg Terminal, Adobe Photoshop, Capital IQ; basic in Python, R
Interests: Astronomy, hiking, food, reading
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 23Resume Example
How Can We Turn Johnny’s Good Resume to Excellent? – Fixing the Basics
Johnny Doe
+ 1 (234) 567-8900 • johnny.doe23@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnydoe
EDUCATION
McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management Montreal, Canada
Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Finance, Minor in Marketing; Cumulative GPA: 3.7/4.00 Sep 2017 – May 2021
Distinctions: Dean’s Honour List, Dr. Jane Doe Scholarship
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alfar Capital Management Montreal, Canada
Private Equity Summer Analyst Summer 2019
• Developed business model descriptions, SWOT analyses, industry landscape, and competitor reviews for 5 private companies
• Assisted partners in developing DCF and LBO models to project the buyout feasibility for a specialty distribution company
Appleby College Westmount, Canada
Peer Tutor – Math and Economics Sep 2016 - May 2017
• Worked as a math and economics peer tutor
• Organized and created study documents for students
LEADERSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR
McGill Data Network Montreal, Canada
VP Marketing Oct 2020 – Present
• Launched a new digital marketing strategy to increase McGill Data Network’s social media presence like LinkedIn, Facebook, and
Instagram
McGill Investment Committee Montreal, Canada
Consumers Industry Analyst Oct 2018 – Apr 2018
• Selected to be a part of the 15-person team, tasked to analyze the consumer sector and provide industry trend insights
• Developed stock pitches using valuation methodologies
RBC Investment Banking Case Competition | Finalist Montreal, Canada | March 2019
McGill Trading Simulation | 1st Place, Best Trader Award Montreal, Canada | January 2018
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Language Skills: Fluent in English, advanced in French, intermediate in German
Computer Skills: Advanced in Bloomberg Terminal, Adobe Photoshop, Capital IQ; basic in Python, R
Interests: Astronomy, hiking, food, reading
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 24Resume Example
How Can We Turn Johnny’s Good Resume to Excellent? – Improving the Bullets
Johnny Doe
+ 1 (234) 567-8900 • johnny.doe23@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnydoe
EDUCATION
McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management Montreal, Canada
Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Finance, Minor in Marketing; Cumulative GPA: 3.7/4.00 Sep 2017 – May 2021
Distinctions: Dean’s Honour List, Dr. Jane Doe Scholarship
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alfar Capital Management Montreal, Canada
Private Equity Summer Analyst Summer 2019
• Developed business model descriptions, SWOT analyses, industry landscape, and competitor reviews for 5 private companies
• Assisted partners in developing DCF and LBO models to project the buyout feasibility for a specialty distribution company
Appleby College Westmount, Canada
Peer Tutor – Math and Economics Sep 2016 - May 2017
• Worked as a math and economics peer tutor
• Organized and created study documents for students
LEADERSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR
McGill Data Network Montreal, Canada
VP Marketing Oct 2020 – Present
• Launched a new digital marketing strategy to increase McGill Data Network’s social media presence like LinkedIn, Facebook, and
Instagram
McGill Investment Committee Montreal, Canada
Consumers Industry Analyst Oct 2018 – Apr 2018
• Selected to be a part of the 15-person team, tasked to analyze the consumer sector and provide industry trend insights
• Developed stock pitches using valuation methodologies
RBC Investment Banking Case Competition | Finalist Montreal, Canada | March 2019
McGill Trading Simulation | 1st Place, Best Trader Award Montreal, Canada | January 2018
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Language Skills: Fluent in English, advanced in French, intermediate in German
Computer Skills: Advanced in Bloomberg Terminal, Adobe Photoshop, Capital IQ; basic in Python, R
Interests: Astronomy, hiking, food, reading
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 25Resume Exemplar
Johnny Doe
+ 1 (234) 567-8900 • johnny.doe@mail.mcgill.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnydoe
EDUCATION
McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management Montreal, Canada
Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Finance, Minor in Marketing; Cumulative GPA: 3.70/4.00 Sep 2017 – May 2021E
Distinctions: Dean’s Honour List, Dr. Jane Doe Scholarship for academic excellence and extracurricular involvement
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alfar Capital Management Montreal, Canada
Private Equity Summer Analyst May 2019 – Aug 2019
• Constructed detailed business model descriptions, SWOT analyses, industry landscape, and competitor reviews for 5 private
companies to support the team in developing investment strategies; supported due diligence to assess risk exposures afterwards
• Assisted partners in developing DCF and LBO models to project the buyout feasibility for a specialty assembly and distribution
company, demonstrating a practical understanding of finance and responsibility; valuation work served to enter first round bidding
Appleby College Westmount, Canada
Peer Tutor – Math and Economics Sep 2016 – May 2017
• Developed autonomy and innovative skills by creating learning strategies tailored to grade 11 students’ abilities and enthusiasms
• Organized and created study documents for students, which led to a 20% improvement in average final grades
LEADERSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR
McGill Data Network Montreal, Canada
VP Marketing Oct 2020 – Present
• Launched a new digital marketing strategy to increase McGill Data Network’s social media presence by drawing in 100+ new
followers across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram; posts received 1.6x as many engagements as the average third-party post
McGill Investment Committee Montreal, Canada
Consumers Industry Analyst Oct 2018 – Apr 2018
• Selected to be a part of the 15-person team, tasked to analyze the consumer sector and provide industry trend insights
• Applied knowledge gained from weekly finance-oriented workshops while developing stock pitches using valuation methodologies
RBC Investment Banking Case Competition | Finalist Montreal, Canada | Mar 2019
McGill Trading Simulation | 1st Place, Best Trader Award Montreal, Canada | Jan 2018
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Language Skills: Fluent in English, advanced in French, intermediate in German
Computer Skills: Advanced in Adobe Photoshop, Bloomberg Terminal, Capital IQ; basic in Python, R
Interests: Astronomy, fusion cuisine, hiking the Himalayas, reading history books (favorite is The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848)
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 26Resume Breakdown
Follow the MIC Template … Some More Tips!
▪ Education
o CGPA: X.XX/4.00 − You can bold your GPA ONLY IF ITS VERY STRONG (3.9+)
▪ Professional Experience
o While it is best to have work experiences relevant to business/finance, don’t be afraid to put in other experiences
too (research opportunities, etc.) – just make sure to tie it to the job you are applying for!
o Bullet points should start with a powerful verb and should describe skills that you learned during your work
experience (we will talk more about this in the next few slides)
o Quantify wherever possible (% for improvements in something, $ for amounts raised, etc.)
▪ Leadership and Extracurricular (refer to tips in professional experience)
o Employers like to see candidates that are well-rounded and committed so don’t be shy to add interesting
organizations you have been with for many years – again make sure to tie it to the job!
o Great place to include any competitions you placed well in
▪ Skills and Interests
o Have fun in this section – this is your chance to stand out
o Stay away from cliché answers like reading/baking/sports but rather be specific about the magical realism
novels you enjoy reading or foods you enjoy stir frying up (or air frying up!)
o These are great conversation starters in your interview or networking session
Note: Everything you put on your resume is fair game for the interviewer to ask you on – so be prepared!
If you are applying to different roles (say IB and S&T), you may choose to prepare different
versions of your resume to better highlight certain experiences over others
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 27Resume – Bullet Formulation
How To Formulate Your Best Resume
The best resume is a combination of…
Right Presentation Consistency, formatting, and proofreading are the basics (check out previous slide)
Right Contents Convey the link between you and the job you are applying to
Formulate your bullets …
Action Objective Results
Recruited, trained, and managed to ensure organizations’ continuity … impacting 400+ local students
and generating $5k+ in proceeds
Adds credibility Adds purpose to donate to attendees in need
(strong verbs)
Adds your impact and
personalizes your abilities
(often separated by a ;)
▪ Ensure most bullets are two lines in the experience sections
▪ Utilize strong action verbs to make bullets as impactful as possible (Link)
▪ Try not to repeat verbs and try to take up the whole width of the page
▪ Repeating this again … but quantifying results catches the eye
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 28Resume – Bullet Formulation
How to Formulate the Best Bullet Points
Key Questions You Should Be Asking Yourself Auditing Bullet Formulation
▪ What did I learn from the experience? ▪ A-O-R Recall…
Action – A
▪ What was difficult or complex about the work? ▪ R-O-A
Objective – O
▪ What was the extent of the impact of my actions? Decreasing ▪ A-R
Result – R
▪ What triumphs did you earn or challenges I in Quality ▪ R-A
overcome?
▪ Directly related A-O
▪ What skills did I gain that are transferrable to the
job I am applying to? ▪ Directly related As
▪ What is similar about the experience and the job I
am applying to?
▪ How did I add value or improve the status quo?
▪ …
Your resume is your first impression to show recruiters that
you are a good fit for the firm. Make it count.
Always read the job posting and make sure their keywords show up in your resume
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 29Resume – Additional Tips & Advice
Education
▪ Keep this section to 3-4 lines max, and feel free to include other details like CFA or GMAT score
▪ U0s: If you didn’t have a CGPA, it would be best to include your high school GPA
▪ U2/U3s: Feel free to remove high school to save room for more relevant line items
Professional Experience
▪ Include recent and relevant internships and jobs – not all have to be business/finance related! Be unique
▪ Include your “incoming” internship – always update your resume!
For formatting dates, keep them consistent and in reverse chronological order (i.e., stick with
MMM-YYYY throughout) and add a “E” at the end of a year if you have an expected end date
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 30Resume – Additional Tips & Advice
Leadership and Extracurricular
▪ Include your most significant leadership experiences and don’t be afraid to be different!
▪ Great way for you to demonstrate commitment – ensure that every experience exemplifies a different skill!
Skills and Interests
▪ Like it was mentioned before, interests are a great way to distinguish yourself and connect with the interviewer –
many often start by looking at this section for small talk
o Make sure to list them in alphabetical order, and avoid unnecessary capitalization
▪ Also include relevant certifications, language and/or computer skills – though if you put down Python or coding
languages, be ready to talk about it!
o It would be good to associate a level for each skill (i.e., advanced, intermediate, beginner in …)
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 31Cover Letter Example – What Not to Do
Never Mention…
▪ Money or your motivation to acquire wealth
▪ Wanting to grind
▪ Drugs/alcohol
▪ Company not being your top choice
▪ Models & bottles
▪ Banking/finance lifestyle
▪ Vests, suits or deal sleds
Do not use cookie cutter phrases, recruiters are looking for candidates that are genuinely
passionate about the job
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 32Cover Letter Breakdown
Cover Letter Structure & Exemplar
Johnny Doe ▪ Introduction
+ 1 (234) 567-8900 • johnny.doe@mail.mcgill.ca
o Introduce yourself (school, program, etc.)
January 27th, 2021
o Why you want to work at this firm and
[Name of Recruiter] industry; why is it a good fit for you?
[Title]
Credit Suisse
o Good idea to convey things you learned
[Recruiter’s Address] about the firm through networking
Dear Mr. / Ms. [Recruiter’s Name], ▪ Body Paragraphs – Identification of your
My name is Johnny Doe and I am currently a senior at McGill University majoring in Finance. I am eager to meaningfully contribute to
skills/experiences that relate to the job position
Credit Suisse’s team as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst. I was introduced to Credit Suisse via [Analyst Name], an Investment o Feel free to bold a few key words,
Banking Analyst in the New York office, and I am impressed with Credit Suisse’s emphasis on cultivating its junior employees through
mentorship programs. I am interested in pursuing a career in Investment Banking and believe that an internship in the New York office especially at the start of the paragraph
will allow me to continue my trajectory.
o Okay to expand on one key work experience
During the summer of 2019, I am completed a private equity internship with Alfar Capital Management, where I am gaining live deal on your resume but emphasize points that
experience. Working side-by-side with the deal teams, I honed my attention to detail and analytical skills through transactions across a are not on your resume
variety of industries. I believe these relevant skills and practical experiences differentiate me and will allow me to “hit the ground
running” as a Summer Analyst at Credit Suisse next year. In the meantime, I intend to further refine my abilities during my upcoming o Always relate it back to how this will help you
summer internship at a Canadian Investment Bank in Toronto.
on the job; talk about the skills that you
Outside of work, I developed a strong work ethic in high school, playing in the AAA Quebec Basketball League for three years. Playing bring to the team
competitive basketball has allowed me to truly understand hard work and commitment, giving me the determination to continuously
push my limits. My experiences excelling in a high-performing team paired with my enthusiasm for Investment Banking will allow me to
meaningfully add value as an intern in your team at Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse’s leading reputation in capital markets necessitates ▪ Conclusion
the continued recruitment of knowledgeable and self-motivated talent.
o Restate your interest, contact info, and thank
Credit Suisse’s leading reputation in capital markets necessitates the continued recruitment of knowledgeable and self-motivated the reader for taking the time
talent. Given my passion for finance, my desire to be challenged, and my leadership skills, I believe I am an ideal candidate for the
Credit Suisse Summer Analyst position. I would be delighted to discuss this opportunity with you at your earliest convenience. Thank Note: Your cover letter should be short! (15 lines
you for your time and consideration and I sincerely look forward to hearing from you.
recommended, 20 lines is absolute max)
Sincerely,
A Second Note: Remember as networking becomes
Johnny Doe more important, the focus of your cover letter should
[Signature] be to not make any mistakes
Enclosure: Resume
Copyright © 2021, McGill Investment Club 33Q&A
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