A merger or company acquisition is a transaction that requires a lot of market research, risk assessment, and audits. That’s why there is a particular role that specializes in coordinating them. Mergers and acquisition specialists determine the value of a business by estimating their net worth and liabilities.
They evaluate their profitability to estimate whether it is a positive acquisition for the company and whether it’ll add value to their business. If that is the case, they will present the benefits of this transaction to both parties and negotiate terms to get to the best agreement. Then, they will structure the deal, including creating the contracts for employees, coordinating financing for the transaction, etc.
This role requires business acumen, so it’s important to demonstrate you have an eye for catching opportunities and risks. If you want to illustrate this in your resume, talk about previous achievements you’ve had as an M&A specialist.
You should also highlight your negotiation skills on your resume since it’s crucial in this industry. If you want to know more interesting tips to enhance your M&A resume, keep reading. Below, we’ve included relevant advice and two resume templates that you can customize.
Jump to a resource:
Get advice on each section of your resume:
The role of the M&A analyst is to help companies make better business decisions when buying, selling, or merging with other businesses. That’s why they perform preliminary financial analysis and operational structure assessments. It is a good idea to highlight your risk management skills on your resume since it’s an essential competency in this field.
Financial analysis is an essential element of M&A. You will have to collect relevant data and analyze other businesses' financial statements. They do this to evaluate whether the acquisition or merger is ideal or not. As an M&A analyst, it’s crucial to demonstrate your financial analysis skills on your resume.
An M&A specialist evaluates business opportunities of mergers with other companies or acquisitions that could help an organization grow financially. Therefore, they conduct market research, risk assessments, business valuations, and negotiations. Your potential employer might expect you to have deep knowledge of private equity, so it’s important to demonstrate it in your resume.
There are numerous certifications that you can use on your M&A resume that’ll help you boost your performance. Yet, it would be a good idea to include those that highlight your accounting and financial skills, such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certifications.
By demonstrating your market research skills, you’re also indicating your business acumen. This is an ability that helps you determine business opportunities based on relevant data and analytics. You should definitely highlight this skill on your resume.
We spoke with hiring managers who recruit for M&A roles at top companies like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Deloitte. They shared with us what they look for in strong M&A resumes, and we've compiled their best tips below.
Hiring managers want to see the specific deals you worked on. They look for details like:
Contrast this with how weaker M&A resumes describe deal experience:
The difference is in the specifics. Including deal sizes, company names, and your exact role shows the scope and impact of your work.
A resume summary for an M&A role is optional, but it can be a valuable addition if you want to provide context or highlight details that aren't immediately apparent from your work experience. It's particularly useful if you're a career changer and your past experience doesn't directly align with the M&A field, or if you're an executive with extensive experience. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and doesn't add value to your resume.
When crafting your summary, focus on showcasing your relevant skills, experience, and achievements. Use objective language and include metrics to quantify your impact. Incorporating keywords relevant to the M&A role can also help your resume perform better with applicant tracking systems (ATS). Keep your summary concise, ideally no more than one paragraph, and avoid directly mentioning soft skills or using corporate buzzwords like "proven track record."
The work experience section is the most crucial part of your M&A resume. It's where you show the impact you've made in your career through your skills and achievements. Hiring managers want to see candidates who have progressed in their career and made a significant impact in their previous roles.
In this section, we'll cover key strategies to write a compelling work experience section that will make you stand out to employers.
The education section of your M&A resume should be concise and highlight your most relevant qualifications. It's important to tailor this section to the specific job you're applying for and showcase your academic achievements that are most pertinent to the role.
M&A is all about negotiation and communication. Your day-to-day work often requires you to sell an idea or a business opportunity. That’s why it is essential to demonstrate this trait on your resume as well. Use the appropriate structure and vocabulary to keep recruiters engaged and interested in your resume.
Action verbs can help you streamline the structure of your resume because they synthesize your ideas. Use them to elevate your resume, but remember to be careful with your word choice. We’ve compiled a list of action verbs for M&A resumes to make things easier for you. Take a look at it below.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your M&A resume should demonstrate your expertise in mergers or acquisition transactions. That’s why you should include skills like acquisition integration, negotiation, business planning, and data analysis. This last one is important because it’s what will help you demonstrate that you are able to perform a risk and financial evaluation of the acquisition or merger.
You can also include any relevant software that helps you automate tasks, such as QuickBooks or Lawson. Don’t forget to highlight your market research skills since your potential employer might expect you to have them. If you want to know more skills you can add to your M&A resume, take a look at our selection.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on M&A job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
