Attention To Detail.

Even if you remember nothing else out of the Vault guide and all those other investment banking interview guides out there, you remember attention to detail. The one quality all prospective investment banking analysts really need.

“But wait,” you might say, “If all you do is crank out Excel and Powerpoint all day and an Associate is checking your work all the time, why is attention to detail so important?”

Make no mistake. It’s a game of diminishing returns. Attention to detail will never win you that new deal that results in $50 million of fees.

But a lack of attention to detail can easily derail projects. Or at least make you look stupid in front of everyone.

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“I’ve been getting a lot of tips on how to write it, mostly from my staff. They really seem to be up on this stuff. They tell me I have to use the active voice for the resume. You know, things like “Commanded U.S. Armed Forces,” “Ordered air strikes,” “Served three terms as President.” Everybody embellishes a little.”

-President Bill Clinton, White House Correspondents Dinner, April 29, 2000

(Yes, I know I’ve used this one before in my guide to getting investment banking jobs, but it’s good and I still like it)

Over the past week I’ve reviewed a flood of resumes from my readers and those on Wall Street Oasis interested in having an “expert” (if that’s what you want to call me) give feedback on the one document that determines your entire future (no, not really, just whether or not you get an investment banking summer internship).

Generally the resumes I’ve seen fall into 1 of 2 categories: they are either very impressive and don’t need much work aside from minor formatting issues, or they are good but suffer from a few common problems (yes, this means I haven’t seen anything that was truly bad so far).

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What is Investment Banking?: Ari Gold: What Bankers Actually Do, Why NOT Do Investment Banking

Investment Banking Lifestyle: A Day in the Life - Worst Day and Best Day, How to Stay Fit, Investment Banking Wardrobe for Men, Investment Banking Lingo Part 1 and Part 2, A Week in the Life (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

Breaking into Finance: How to Get an Investment Banking Job, Networking into Investment Banking, Recruiting in a Tough Market, Breaking in from Engineering, Breaking in from Law, Breaking in from the Back Office

Investment Banking Resumes: How to Write an Investment Banking Resume, How Investment Bankers Read Resumes

Investment Banking Interviews: Investment Banking Interview Guide, The Interview Selection Process, How to Close Your Interviews

Summer Internships: Summer Intern Success Guide, How to Dominate Your Summer Internship, Tips from a Former Summer Analyst, What You Do as a Summer Analyst, 10 Summer Internship "Don't's", How Summer Interns Get Full-Time Offers

Investment Banking Salaries: Investment Banking Salaries vs. McDonald's, Why Investment Bankers Make So Much Money, 2008 Analyst Bonuses

Private Equity / Buyside Jobs: Private Equity Resumes, Private Equity Interviews, The Myth of the Buyside Job, Headhunters: Friend or Foe?

Specific Groups: UBS LA, Boutiques, Restructuring, The Back Office

Quitting Finance: The Conference Room: How You Get Fired, The Farewell Email, A Day in the Life of a Former Investment Banker