Most finance CVs fail before anyone reads a word of the personal statement — wrong structure, wrong emphasis, or trying to sound like a graduate when you're not one yet. Here's what actually matters at your stage.
Structure first
Stick to one page. Section order: Personal Statement, Education, Work Experience, Extracurricular Activities, Skills & Interests. Recruiters skim in seconds — a predictable structure means they find what they're looking for instead of hunting for it.
Personal statement: be specific, not impressive-sounding
Skip "hardworking, ambitious team player." Every CV says that. Instead, name the specific thing you're aiming for and one concrete reason why: a course you completed, a person you spoke to, a specific division that interests you. Specificity is what separates a memorable CV from a forgettable one.
Education: include grades honestly, even if they're GCSEs
If you're a Year 12 or 13 student, recruiters expect GCSEs, not a finished degree. List them plainly. Predicted A-level grades belong here too, clearly marked as predicted.
Work experience: outcomes beat tasks
"Attended a two-week internship" tells a recruiter nothing about you. "Built a discounted cash flow model and presented findings to a team of five" tells them exactly what you can do. If you don't have paid work experience yet, insight days, virtual work experience (JPMorgan/Citi/Bank of America via Forage), and free courses all count — describe what you actually did in each.
The most common mistakes
- Generic statements that could describe literally any candidate
- Spelling the target bank's name wrong (yes, this happens constantly, and it's an instant red flag)
- Sending the exact same CV to every firm with no tailoring
- Listing skills with no evidence attached ("leadership" with nothing to back it up)
One page, no exceptions
At this stage in your career, a two-page CV signals you don't yet know what to prioritise. Cut ruthlessly. If in doubt, cut the older or less relevant item, not the newer one.