The basic rule: one page, facts and figures
For M&A and consulting alike, the format is clear: one understated page, with no photo or decorative graphics, organised into standard sections — education, experience, skills and interests. The reader should find your university in two seconds, your latest experience in five, and a number in every experience bullet.
Describe each experience through achievements rather than responsibilities: “built trading comparables for a universe of 12 companies” says something; “participated in the team’s work” says nothing. Quantification is the first distinction between a professional CV and a student CV.
Education: the first thing recruiters see
Put your university and degree first, with verifiable details: honours, a favourable ranking, strong GMAT or other scores, exchanges and relevant quantitative courses. Initial screening in France places considerable weight on this section, so make it precise.
Common mistakes include burying your target university under earlier qualifications, omitting useful honours or inflating unverifiable details. Recruiters in these sectors check: overselling costs more than modesty.
M&A-specific conventions
A banking CV highlights technical skills and transaction exposure: mention the work performed — valuation, comparables, data rooms, models — the sectors covered and, when permitted, the size or nature of the deals. Technical terms such as DCF, LBO, merger model and due diligence belong where they are justified, never added for effect.
Finish with hard skills: Excel and VBA where relevant, languages with accurate levels, and certifications only if completed or in progress. In banking, “fluent English” will be tested from the first call: include only what you can demonstrate in an interview.
Consulting-specific conventions
A consulting CV looks for impact and leadership: measurable results — “membership up 30%”, “managed a €15k budget” — initiatives led from start to finish, and a clear “spike”: an area in which you stand out, such as a major society role, entrepreneurship, elite sport or research.
Firms also read a CV as a source of fit and PEI stories: every bullet should support a structured account of the context, your own actions and a quantified result. An impressive CV that you cannot defend verbally works against you.
Mistakes that can rule you out
Some mistakes can end the process on their own: spelling errors in roles built around written work, unexplained gaps, inconsistent dates, checkable falsehoods and a two-page CV with fewer than ten years of experience.
More subtle but just as costly is a generic CV sent to thirty firms without tailoring. Recruiters spot it immediately: adapt your CV to each target group, and use the cover letter for the rest.
- More than one page with fewer than 10 years of experience.
- Spelling or formatting errors, including alignment and fonts.
- Experience described without a single number.
- Unexplained gaps or inconsistent dates.
- Language levels or skills you cannot demonstrate in an interview.
Check your CV before applying
Three checks before sending: a review by someone in the industry, such as an alumnus or coach; the ten-second test — what does a busy reader remember? — and an objective assessment against your target.
Our free review does exactly that: your CV is assessed in two minutes across six areas, weighted for your target firm or category, with a list of practical improvements. It is analysed in memory and never retained.
M&A vs consulting CVs: the differences that matter
| Element | M&A / Corporate Finance | Strategy consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Main signal | Technical skills + transaction exposure | Measurable impact + leadership |
| Expected terminology | Valuation, comparables, DCF, LBO, data room | Structuring, recommendations, quantified results |
| Extracurricular activities | Useful for fit | Decisive: this is where your “spike” appears |
| Skills | Excel/VBA, languages, modelling | Analysis, quantitative tools, languages |
| Use in interviews | Every technical bullet may be explored in depth | Every bullet can become a fit/PEI story |
Frequently asked questions
Should I include a photo on a banking or consulting CV?
No. These sectors follow English-speaking market conventions: no photo, age or marital status. Use one understated page, a conventional typeface and no decorative elements.
Should my CV be in French or English?
Prepare both: use the language of the listing, and many Paris firms request English by default. An English CV is not a word-for-word translation: section headings and conventions differ, including achievement-led bullets and “internship” rather than the French “stage”.
How can I compensate for a less recognised university on my CV?
Focus on what you control: well-chosen stepping-stone experience, clearly quantified achievements, a ranking or honours, and one or two strong differentiators such as a competition, certification in progress or project. Networking and early applications also matter more for candidates outside target universities.
Can a CV really be assessed automatically?
Our review assesses your CV like an initial screen: education, academic signals, relevant experience, visible technical skills, leadership and timing, weighted for your target. It does not replace a coach’s judgement, but gives you a structured view in two minutes before you invest weeks in preparation.