I’m prepping for analyst interviews and realized my resume probably looks like 500 other candidates’ resumes. I have the standard stuff—some finance club leadership, a couple of internships, decent GPA—but I don’t feel like it’s jumping off the page.
I’ve been trying to mock interview with classmates, but everyone’s just asking the same textbook questions. It hit me that I should probably get feedback from people who’ve actually been through this as analysts and interviewers, not just other candidates. The problem is, I have no idea how to get that kind of honest feedback.
I’m also curious about what actually moves the needle in an IB resume versus what just clutters it. Like, does everyone’s resume need to say “leveraged financial modeling skills to drive X%” or is that just noise at this point? Is there an actual resume framework that works, or is it just about telling a better story?
And for interviews themselves, what’s the gap between what you prep for and what actually gets asked? I know technicals matter, but are there blind spots that only someone who’s been in the room would catch?
Has anyone actually gotten valuable feedback from people in the industry that fundamentally changed how they prepped?
Resume feedback from practitioners is transformative because they identify what actually signals readiness versus what sounds like templating. Most analyst resumes prioritize the wrong achievements. Strong resumes emphasize client interaction, deal exposure, and specific technical contributions over generic leadership claims. Effective bullet points demonstrate impact through business outcomes, not just activity. For interviews, real feedback surfaces unstated assessment criteria—technical depth matters, but senior bankers also evaluate how you think about problems under ambiguity, handle pushback, and communicate complexity clearly. Seek feedback from analysts in your target groups, not just VPs. They remember interview anxiety and know what actually gets through to senior bankers. Mock interviews should include scenario-based questions and behavioral setups beyond technicals. The gap between prep and reality usually involves questions about deal specifics, portfolio understanding, and how you’d approach real problems in their current environment.
Resume analysis shows that technical quantification matters less than narrative coherence. Resumes with clear storylines—progression toward banking-relevant skills—outperform those listing disconnected bullets. Banking-specific language appears in 70% of analyst resumes but differentiates less than original insights. Interview performance data suggests technicals comprise 30-40% of decision-making; behavioral assessment and culture fit comprise 60-70%. Mock interviews miss this weighting—most focus disproportionately on technicals. Effective interview prep balances technical fluency with ability to discuss client problems, deal sourcing strategies, and team dynamics thoughtfully. The most dramatic feedback shift comes from getting resume reviews and interview prep from people currently in analyst roles at your target banks, not senior leaders. They’re calibrated to current expectations.
I was stuck on my resume for weeks until an analyst I met through a coffee chat just tore apart my bullet points. She basically said all my points sounded like everyone else’s and asked me what I actually learned at each job. Totally reframed how I thought about it. For interviews, I did one mock with her and she asked me stuff I wasn’t expecting—like what would I do if a client pushed back on valuation assumptions. That question showed up in my real interview. Having someone who’s recently been through it made the prep feel way less theoretical.
yeah ur resume probably doesn’t matter as much as who u know. that said, if ur gonna get feedback, get it from analysts not partners. they’ll tell u if ur bullets are BS in like 30 seconds. interviews are 50% technicals, 50% not being weird and proving u actually want the job, not just a name on ur resume. prep the hard stuff, but dont spend weeks on mock interviews answering the same questions.
Oh wow I hadn’t thought about asking analysts specifically! That’s genius bc they just went thru this. I bet their feedback would be so much more useful than peers. definitely gonna do this!
Reaching out to analysts for feedback is such a smart move! People genuinely want to help when you ask thoughtfully. You’re already positioning yourself to prep better than most!