Activities to improve your I-banking CV

Besides your degree, grades, internships and other experience, there a several ways to improve your CV to make it more attractive to investment banks. Below are few extracurricular activities that we recommend to improve your CV and standout when applying to investment banks.

Sports/Games: Investment bankers like people who play sport/games at a competitive level

This looks good on the CV, and is a great way to find a conversation topic when discussing with Human Resources and investment bankers. Sports or other competitive activities such as chess shows leadership, team playing skills (for team activities) but also that you are not afraid of competition. Note that mentioning that you play football, tennis or any other sport on the CV is usually not enough - best is to mention competitions where you achieved impressive results, mentioning that you are captain of a team, or that you reached a high level (i.e. black belt in judo, for example). Also be prepared to discuss the latest about your favourite sport/activity during interviews - you don't want to mention that you are a strong tennis player if you don't know the who won Wimbledon last year!

Student Clubs: become an active member of a Club or Society, not necessarily business-related

Club memberships are great, however you need to demonstrate that you are "active". This means that you need to show that you have been organising events, hold a position of responsability within the club, or anything that shows your leadership or organisational skills. You don't have to be a member of a business related society (unless if you are studying for a non-business degree, to show interest in finance). The point here is to show initiative and leadership potential.

Volunteering: take part in off campus activities

Volunteering for good causes is not only a great way to give back to society but it also looks great on the CV. It typically shows that you have good interpersonal skills and have initiative. Often, volunteering will also allow you to show leadership if you coordinate fundraising, help a group of children, etc. 
Corporate/Research projects 

If you are interested in a specific business are, why not ask a finance teacher to help on some research, or even propose research topic to him/her? Similarly, you could offer a venture capital funds to do some free industry research or screen potential targets for them. This will be a great addition on the CV, will be a great source of learning, and might even lead to a potential job offer or internship.

Launch a Startup 
Thanks to the internet, online businesses are easy to launch nowadays and require minimum capital. Anybody can start a small business if you have a good idea. This is a great way to learn, it shows business acumen and is a great opportunity to generate to some extra cash. You can use this experience to demonstrate you understanding of finance during an interview i.e. a talk about cashflow generation, working capital needs, margins and growth if a perfect way to impress an investment banker.

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