01|Introduction

For many students entering the recruiting process, whether early undergraduates or those preparing for graduate school, the first major source of anxiety is the same:

How do you build a resume that is truly competitive?

This piece brings together insights from PGP alumni who have secured offers, along with guidance from our founder Natasha. We break down what matters most across internships, student organizations, extracurriculars, and resume construction, and what differentiates candidates in top-tier investment bank recruiting.

02|PGP Alumni Perspectives

Q: What kind of internship experience stands out?

JPM ST HK’22：One of the biggest misconceptions is that your resume needs to be filled with big-name institutions.

After going through recruiting, it becomes clear that firms prioritize relevant experience over brand names. In our cohort, relatively few candidates had internships at major institutions. Many stood out because they had accumulated experience that was directly aligned with the role.

For Sales and Trading, this typically includes exposure to secondary markets such as equity research or asset management.

Even experiences that are not traditionally finance-focused, such as marketing, can be valuable if they demonstrate skills relevant to client interaction and idea generation.

Q: Does your resume need to be entirely business-focused?

RBC IBD SF'23: Not necessarily.

Each candidate should retain a degree of individuality. A resume that looks identical to everyone else’s is unlikely to stand out.

In my case, I included my experience as a DJ. It became a natural conversation starter in interviews and made my profile more memorable.

Q: Are there specific student organizations you would recommend?

GS ST LDN'23: If you are studying at a business school, it is beneficial to join well-established finance organizations or business fraternities.

These groups often have strong leadership from upperclassmen who have already gone through recruiting. They can provide guidance on technical preparation, mock interviews, and networking.

If you are not in a business school, that is not a disadvantage.

Joining organizations you are genuinely interested in can be equally valuable. Taking on leadership roles, such as serving on the board or leading a team, allows you to build experience in managing people, budgets, and events. These experiences demonstrate leadership in a tangible way.

Q: Can you include high school experience on your resume?

GS IBD NY'23: Unless you are a freshman or early sophomore, it is generally not advisable.

High school experience can feel too distant and may signal a lack of more recent development.

If you do need to include it, focus less on the timeline and more on the skills and outcomes. Emphasize what you achieved, rather than when it happened.

Q: How did your mentor help you refine your resume?

CS IBD HK'21: Once my target role was clear, my mentor provided a structured template and asked me to draft an initial version.

Before each session, I would submit a draft. My mentor would review it in detail, providing specific feedback on clarity, structure, and language.

During sessions, we went through each line carefully. We identified areas where the narrative was unclear or where the wording lacked precision.

After revising, I would submit a second version. At that stage, the structure was already significantly improved, so the focus shifted to refining grammar and word choice rather than rewriting content.

The final result was a resume that felt both more professional and more targeted. Each experience was framed in a way that aligned with the role I was applying for, whether in equity research or other areas.

Q: What defines a strong resume?

BofA ST HK'22: A strong resume clearly demonstrates several core attributes.

Relevant experience, leadership, teamwork, the ability to perform under pressure, and attention to detail.

Each bullet point should be concise, action-oriented, and varied in language. The overall presentation should be clean, with no grammatical or formatting errors.

03|Founder’s Perspective

Build exposure through structured finance communities

If you are in a business school, prioritize established finance organizations such as Finance Society, Quant Finance Society, or Beta Alpha Psi.

These organizations often host networking events and provide access to peers and mentors with strong technical backgrounds. Weekly sessions frequently cover technical topics and approaches to market analysis.

Avoid overly uniform profiles

A purely finance-focused resume is not necessarily optimal.

Firms are not only evaluating technical capability. They are also looking for individuals who bring personality, perspective, and presence into a team environment.

Experiences in entrepreneurship, esports, music, or fashion can all be valuable if they are articulated clearly.

What matters is not the category of the experience, but how effectively it demonstrates your thinking, initiative, and individuality.