Buyside Resume Template
Your banking resume won't cut it. Here's how to reformat it for PE, PC, HF, and VC recruiting.
The Pulse Buyside Resume Template
Built for fresh grads with limited deal experience — scale up as you close more transactions.
Format: .docx · Sourced from The Pulse Buyside Platform
Key Differences from Your Banking Resume
The buyside resume is mostly a modification of your banking resume — but the differences matter.
Deal Experience Comes First
Unlike your undergrad resume where education led, the buyside resume is anchored by your deal and transaction experience. List 2–3 closed or active deals under your current role. Know every deal on your resume front-to-back — this is non-negotiable.
Education Moves to the Bottom
PE and credit firms care about what you've done since graduation far more than your GPA. Keep it clean — school, degree, GPA, and one or two standout achievements. That's it.
Kill the Undergrad Clubs
No one on the buyside cares that you were VP of your school's investment club. Trim undergrad extracurriculars to a single line or remove them entirely. Use that space for deal experience.
Interests Section — Keep It Small
Unique personal interests belong in a small-font 'Interests' line at the very bottom. You need to look polished and deal-focused at first glance to pass the initial screen.
Format: Clean, Dense, One Page
PE resume reviewers spend about 30 seconds on an initial pass. Firm names and job titles prominent, bullet points crisp and quantified. Keep font no smaller than 10pt. One tight page is the standard.
Tailor for Strategy
Targeting healthcare PE? Make sure any healthcare deal exposure is front and center. Applying to a credit fund? Lead with debt or restructuring experience. Specialists reward specificity.