How to create the perfect CV if you work in M&A

As we've observed, M&A hiring is on the up in 2010. If you work in the profession, now may therefore be the time to spruce up your CV in preparation for increasing interest in your skills.

Based on conversations with M&A-focused headhunters and recruiters, here's a template/ step by step guide to M&A CV joy. We've included the basics on the basis that these are as likely to be wrongly presented as more complex elements like deal lists.

Your name

Postal Address

Telephone Number, Email Address

Personal statement (this is entirely optional. If you decide to include one, make sure it says something meaningful instead of offering generic clichés). Eg. 'A top ranked analyst with experience of working on numerous large deals across the leisure sector'. Or, 'A senior originator with key relationships across the European leisure centre. Responsible for generating Xbn of fees in 2009.'

NATIONALITY:

MARITAL STATUS:

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

· Eg. ACA, qualified lawyer

EDUCATION (List postgraduate qualifications first. If you have more than three years' full time work experience, list your experience before your qualifications)

· Name of university attended, city and country it was located in

· Degree in X. Degree class (1st 2/1 2/2). Date of graduation.

· If you're a recent graduate, add relevant coursework: Emphasise anything related to business, accounting, or economics.

· A Levels: Only add A levels if you graduated within the past five years. Specify grades. If you graduated more than two years ago and have relevant work experience, it is not necessary to specify A level subjects.

· GCSEs: Only add GCSEs if you graduated within the past five years. Specify grades. It is not necessary to state subjects studied.

WORK EXPERIENCE

· Name of the company you worked for, plus the city and country you were based in.

· Your position and the business area you worked in.

· Start date- end date

· Add a very brief description of your role. Eg. Executing transactions across multiple sectors with a recent focus on leisure and tourism. Or: Originating transactions across the leisure and tourism sector. Increased fees X%, following the addition of three new clients.

· Mention one or two key transactions. Refer to the deal list in the appendix for further information.

INTERESTS, SKILLS & ACTIVITIES

Languages: Eg. Fluent in French; Conversationally proficient in Italian.

Technical Skills: Don't mention Microsoft Office!

Interests and activities: Be brief. Don't mention international travel or reading!

APPENDIX: DEAL LIST - Try and restrict this to two sides. If necessary, refer only to key transactions only!

· Client company: Eg. Anheuser-Busch Cos

· Transaction, transaction size and date: Eg. $60.4bn Acquisition of InBev NV, August 2008

· Brief description of your role in the transaction: Eg. Origination, execution, modeling, due diligence