Regardless of your background, your private equity resume should first serve as a marketing tool. It must show your strengths in a way that entices hiring managers to contact you for an interview.

A private equity or venture capital resume needs to be focused on results and provide specific information surrounding past efforts that achieved results. To create a successful resume, here are a few tips to drive success:

Customize Your Presentation

• Customize your resume. Depending upon the industry focus of the firm, you should tailor your resume accordingly. Take a look at the firm’s website to understand fund’s portfolio. If you have relevant experience that is well-aligned, highlight this first.
• The headline and branding statement can be tailored to mention industry exposure. Alternatively, the core competency section is a good place to mention specific industry knowledge.

Be Accurate and Clear

• It goes without saying that your private equity or venture capital resume should be error free. Sure, this sounds obvious but the number of resumes sent with errors is astounding. Nothing spells the kiss of death for a candidate more than a resume filled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Your attention to detail in preparing your resume is a reflection of your ability as an employee. If your resume has errors, what will your work performance be like?
• Avoid using acronyms without explaining their meaning. Terms like LBO and IRR may seem obvious when you are a seasoned private equity or venture capital professional; but you never know who the first line of defense is. It is possible that someone with limited industry knowledge will be the first person reviewing your information. Make sure your content is clear and concise.
• Be certain that your resume and your LinkedIn profile are in sync. It is okay to have differences between the two, but it is not okay if dates don’t match up and titles are not identical. You don’t want to give anyone a reason within the firm to question your ethics or honesty.

Demonstrate Your Best Attributes

• Make certain to highlight relevant financial modeling. Be prepared to provide specific examples of any analyses you conducted. Illustrate how your work was instrumental in advancing the goals of the private equity firm.
• If you are experienced at providing oversight for portfolios or were instrumental in originating any deals, highlight your contributions using rich action verbs and quantify the positive outcomes of your efforts.

As you compete with others, your achievements and accomplishments are what set you apart. Explain what you have done in your past positions, providing robust information surrounding the specific and notable value you have brought to past employers.

The result will be interviews, which is the goal of any well-written resume.

About the Author

Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC, an experienced human capital management strategist is globally recognized as an expert in advanced career search techniques. Debra has more than 18 years’ corporate human resource experience guiding and directing global clients in determining career goals and identifying gratifying career choices. She can be reached directly at debra@careersdonewrite.com