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Walk me through your resume.
Unlike 'Tell me about yourself,' this question asks you to go through your resume systematically. Hit each experience with: what it was, what you did, what you learned, and how it connects to IB. Keep it to 2-3 minutes and emphasize transferable skills.
Why Interviewers Ask This
The interviewer has your resume but wants to hear your interpretation of it. They're assessing whether you can communicate clearly, whether your experiences are as strong as they appear on paper, and whether you've thoughtfully built a path toward investment banking.
How to Structure Your Answer
Go chronologically through your experiences: for each, briefly explain (1) What the role/experience was, (2) Your specific responsibilities and achievements, (3) What you learned and how it applies to banking. Spend more time on recent, relevant experiences.
Key Points to Cover
- Go in chronological order
- Spend 30-60 seconds per experience
- Emphasize quantifiable achievements
- Connect each experience to IB skills
- Keep total answer to 2-3 minutes
- Be prepared for deep dives on any experience
Sample Answer
I'd be happy to walk you through my background.
I started my finance journey during freshman year when I joined [first relevant experience]. There, I [specific responsibilities and achievements]. This taught me [relevant skill] and sparked my interest in [area related to IB].
The following summer, I interned at [Company], where I worked in [department]. My main project involved [specific description]. I particularly enjoyed [aspect], and I achieved [quantifiable result]. This experience developed my [specific skill] and gave me exposure to [IB-relevant area].
During my junior year, I took on a leadership role in [activity], where I [responsibilities]. We [achievement], which required [relevant skills]. This taught me how to [transferable skill].
Most recently, I interned at [most relevant experience]. I was staffed on [types of projects], where I [specific responsibilities]. The highlight was [specific achievement or learning]. This confirmed my interest in investment banking because [specific reason].
Throughout, I've maintained [academic achievement] while also pursuing [relevant coursework or certifications]. I'm now excited to bring these experiences together in an investment banking role.
I'm happy to go deeper on any of these.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Simply reading the resume without adding context
- Spending too much time on irrelevant experiences
- Not connecting experiences to IB
- Going over 3 minutes
- Not having specific achievements ready to discuss
Pro Tip
For each experience, have a 'STAR' story ready (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Interviewers often pick one experience and ask you to elaborate.
