Private Equity CV example

Are you looking to progress your career in private equity? Then you need a CV that’s as solid as your analytical skills and strategic thinking.

And we can help you to deliver.

In this guide, we’ve put together some of our top tips for writing a standout CV, along with a private equity CV example to help you further.

 

 

 

Private Equity CV example

Private Equity CV 1

Private Equity CV 2

 

Before you start writing your CV, take a look at the example Private Equity CV above to give yourself a good idea of the style and format that recruiters and hiring managers prefer to see.

Also, take note of the type of content that is included to impress recruiters, and how the most relevant information is made prominent, to ensure it gets noticed.

 

CV builder

 

Private Equity CV layout and format

If you focus purely on the written content of your CV but ignore the style and layout, your efforts could end up wasted.

No matter how suitable you are for the role, no recruiter wants to spend time squinting and trying to navigate a badly designed and disorganised CV.

Instead, make sure to organise your content into a simple structure and spend some time formatting it for ease of reading – it will ensure every recruiter and hiring manager can read your CV with ease.

 

How to write a CV

 

CV formatting tips

  • Length: Two sides of A4 makes for the perfect CV length, though one page is okay for less experienced applicants. This forces you to make sure that every single sentence adds value to your CV and ensures you avoid waffle.
  • Readability: By clearly formatting your section headings (bold, or a different colour font, do the trick) and breaking up big chunks of text into snappy bullet points, time-strapped recruiters will be able to skim through your CV with ease.
  • Design: It’s generally best to stick to a simple CV design, as funky or elaborate designs rarely add any value to your application. A clear, modern font and a subtle colour scheme work perfectly and allow your skills, experience and achievements to speak for themselves.
  • Avoid photos: If your CV has photos, images or profile pictures, hit the delete button. They’re not needed and won’t add any value to your applications.

 

Quick tip: Formatting your CV to look professional can be difficult and time-consuming when using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. If you want to create an attractive CV quickly, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder and use one of their eye-catching professional CV templates.

 

CV formatting tips

 

 

CV structure

As you write your CV, divide and sub-head into the following sections:

  • Name and contact details – Always start with these, so employers know exactly how to get in touch with you.
  • CV profile – Add a short summary of your relevant experience, skills and achievements, which highlights your suitability.
  • Core skills section – A 2-3 columned list of your key skills.
  • Work experience – A detailed list of any relevant work experience, whether paid or voluntary.
  • Education – An overview of your academic background and any training you may have completed.
  • Hobbies and interests – A brief overview of your hobbies and interests, if they’re relevant (optional).

Now I’ll tell you exactly what you should include in each CV section.

 

CV Contact Details

Contact details

 

Start off your CV with a basic list of your contact details.
Here’s what you should include:

  • Mobile number
  • Email address – It’s often helpful to make a new email address, specifically for your job applications.
  • Location – Share your town or city; there’s no need for a full address.
  • LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Make sure the information on them is coherent with your CV, and that they’re up-to-date

Quick tip: Delete excessive details, such as your date of birth or marital status. Recruiters don’t need to know this much about you, so it’s best to save the space for your other CV sections.

 

Private Equity CV Profile

Your CV profile is basically a short introductory paragraph, which summarises your key selling points and highlights why you’d make a good hire.

So, write a well-rounded summary of what you do, what your key skills are, and what relevant experience you have.

It needs to be short, snappy and punchy and, ultimately, entice the reader to read the rest of your CV.

 

CV profile

 

Tips for creating an strong CV profile:

  • Keep it concise: It might be tempting to submit a page-long CV profile, but recruiters won’t have the time to read it. To ensure every word gets read, it’s best to include high-level information only; sticking to a length of 3-5 lines.
  • Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.
  • Don’t add an objective: Leave your career objectives or goals out of your profile. You only have limited space to work with, so they’re best suited to your cover letter.
  • Avoid cliches: Clichés like “blue-sky thinker with a go-getter attitude” might sound impressive to you, but they don’t actually tell the recruiter much about you. Concentrate on highlighting hard facts and skills, as recruiters are more likely to take these on board.

 

Example CV profile for Private Equity positions

Highly motivated and detail driven Private Equity Analyst with strong quantitative abilities, extensive financial modelling skills and advanced knowledge of Excel. Proficient at analysing new investment opportunities, supporting deal negotiations and conducting commercial due diligence. A bilingual English and French speaker who engages fluently with European clients. Experience of analysing and evaluating private equity investments in the consumer, healthcare, industrial, technology, and transportation sectors.

 

What to include in your Private Equity CV profile?

  • Summary of experience: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of companies you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
  • Relevant skills: Make your most relevant Private Equity key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.
  • Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant Private Equity qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the jobs you are applying to.

 

Quick tip: Struggling to write a powerful profile? Choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our quick-and-easy CV Builder. All written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.

 

Core skills section

Next, you should create a bullet pointed list of your core skills, formatted into 2-3 columns.

Here, you should focus on including the most important skills or knowledge listed in the job advertisement.

This will instantly prove that you’re an ideal candidate, even if a recruiter only has time to briefly scan your CV.

 

Core skills section CV

 

Top skills for your Private Equity CV

Financial modelling – creating a summary of a fund’s expenses and earnings in the form of a spreadsheet that can be used to calculate the impact of a future event or decision.

Mergers and acquisitions – managing the consolidation of assets through financial transactions.

Comparable analysis – analysing the financial performance of various assets to determine which may be overvalued or undervalued.

Leveraged buyout – acquiring assets using a small portion of equity and a large portion of outside debt financing.

Equity valuation – utilising a variety of tools and techniques to find out the true value of a company’s equity.

 

Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy CV Builder contains thousands of in-demand skills for every profession that can be added to your CV in seconds – saving you time and greatly improving your chances of landing job interviews.

 

CV builder

 

Work experience/Career history

Now it’s time to get stuck into your work experience, which should make up the bulk of your CV.

Begin with your current (or most recent) job, and work your way backwards.

If you’ve got too much experience to fit onto two pages, prioritise space for your most recent and relevant roles.

 
Work experience
 

Structuring your roles

Whilst writing your CV, it’s essential to look at it from the eyes of a recruiter.

If they’re met with giant blocks of text which are impossible to navigate, they might get frustrated and skip onto the next CV.

Instead, make use of the 3-step structure shown below, to give them a pleasant reading experience.

 
Role descriptions
 

Outline

Start with a brief summary of your role as a whole, as well as the type of company you worked for.

 

Key responsibilities

Follow with a snappy list of bullet points, detailing your daily duties and responsibilities.

Tailor it to the role you’re applying for by mentioning how you put the target employer’s desired hard skills and knowledge to use in this role.

 

Key achievements

Round up each role by listing 1-3 key achievements, accomplishments or results.

Wherever possible, quantify them using hard facts and figures, as this really helps to prove your value.

 

Example job for Private Equity CV

Outline

Supporting the Deals Team within Goldman Sach’s Private Equity Division as a graduate Private Equity Analyst; working on a broad range of fundraising activity and assisting at every stage of the deals process.

Key Responsibilities

  • Supporting the capital raising process from origination to close
  • Maintaining all fundraising-related documentation – including status reports, activity reports, roadshow calendars, investor profiles and agendas
  • Conducting research and analysis into the private equity market, including fund managers and investors, as well as various trends and specifics related to GPs and LPs
  • Supporting deal leaders on all aspects of deal management, including implementing action lists for weekly tasks, providing investor information to LPs and completing due diligence requests

 

Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.

 

 

Education section

After your work experience, your education section should provide a detailed view of your academic background.

Begin with those most relevant to Private Equity jobs, such as vocational training or degrees.
If you have space, you can also mention your academic qualifications, such as A-Levels and GCSEs.

Focus on the qualifications that are most relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

 

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

 

CV builder

 

Writing your Private Equity CV

An interview-winning CV for a Private Equity role, needs to be both visually pleasing and packed with targeted content.

Whilst it needs to detail your experience, accomplishments and relevant skills, it also needs to be as clear and easy to read as possible.

Remember to research the role and review the job ad before applying, so you’re able to match yourself up to the requirements.

If you follow these guidelines and keep motivated in your job search, you should land an interview in no time.

Best of luck with your next application!