How to Craft the Perfect Equity Analyst Resume (Quoted in the WSJ’s FINS.com Career website)

Mar 21st, 2011

How to Craft the Perfect Equity Analyst Resume

By John Crant

––Quoted in the article By Alina Dizik on The Wall Street Journal‘s FINS.com Financial Career Website.

[ view article with Quotes on Fins.com ]

Q: What are 3 things that an Equity Analyst Job Seeker must have

in their resume if they are eager to work in a financial institution?

There are 3 key items every equity analyst job seeker must have in their resumes:

1. You must show that you have the right attention to detail and focus that this type of research position requires.

Think in terms of an investigative journalist that focuses on a particular industry, or sector. Be sure to include your specific sector, industry and companies that you have covered in your work. You have to demonstrate in your achievements that you have the discipline required for this field, as you will be focused on financial research and analysis that will result in buy, hold and sell ratings for the companies that you cover.

2. It’s about your ability to build relationships.

These deep relationships in the industry and with companies allow the analyst to better understand and make qualified predictions as to industry trends and the performance of the companies that they cover.

3. You also need to convey that you can digest and process significant public data, and then produce detailed reports about your conclusions drawn from the data and your analysis.

And remember, good analysis includes the specifics with quantitative numbers. So, it should go without saying that your writing and presentation skills need to be top-notch too.

Q: What should people NOT put in their resume when it comes to pursuing a

career this type of entry-level finance position? Are there any wrong factors to highlight, etc.?

While there are some things individuals seeking equity analyst positions should not put in their resumes, most of the mistakes are sins of omission.

First, the major mistake: make sure the experience you do focus on is the experience that applicable for the analyst role. Where necessary, reduce detail, in this one case, to present less on irrelevant background and provide additional specifics in the areas that show the right skill set for this role.

Now, the major omission.

Information without detail. This is an analyst role, it’s all about the quantitative detail, conclusions and results. If your resume has details without quantitative results, you are not likely to beat the other candidates competing for this position. When you write about your achievements, be sure to include numbers and analysis along with the results of your work. Think back to how your work will result in recommendations to buy, hold or sell. It’s all in the details.

Q: Is there one preferable format that you recommend for someone who doesn’t have too much experience (two or less years out of undergraduate business school)?

If you are just a couple years out of school, it’s important to maximize your resume toward your desired equity analyst position.

In other words, you have to position yourself in the reader’s mind, before they read the detail of your background, to provide a desired context. While I’m not a fan of objective statements, I am a big fan of something akin to its cousin: the positioning title.

Think about a ‘title and focus’ placed in the area where an objective statement would be on a resume. If you have worked in a specific technology sector with a company or two as you have launched your career, then a positioning title of “Equity Analyst for [your tech sector]” might be just what’s necessary to start them thinking of you in that context –so they can absorb the rest of the experience and think of you in this desired role.

You can’t change what you’ve done for your past employers, but you can change what you talk about. Think about the essential elements that we discussed for this equity analyst role and now be sure to show those attributes in the accomplishments that you decide to highlight on your resume.

Q: Is there anything that successful applicants all demonstrate in their

resume when it comes to equity analyst positions specifically?

The successful individuals make sure to tell their story of accomplishment in the way demonstrates the key qualities required and with the industry grammar of an top analyst.

The best way to get the job is to show you can do the job with how you report details and tell your career story.

Q: Why is it so important to have a good resume for this type of entry-level position.

It’s always a competition, from when we start our careers, to every step along the way.

A great resume that hits all the right targets will get you noticed head-and-shoulders about the rest. It’s your first chance to be seen as a real standout, and a natural for the job.

Now, Let’s go get that Job!

John Crant

Author, Career Coach & Speaker
on Job Search and Career Management

As seen and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, on FINS.com, on CareerBuilder’s CBsalary.com, on The Ladders, on Vault.com, in CRAIN’S New York Business, on Forbes.com, in amNY, and on FOX News – John share’s the answers and the concrete steps for success in Job Search.

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