Guide
How to answer “Walk me through your resume”
Updated November 1, 2026
Tell it as a short story with a direction, not a list: where you started, two or three experiences that built your interest and skills in finance, and why that path leads to investment banking now. Give each experience one sentence on what you did and one on what you took from it, end on why you're in this interview, and keep the whole answer to 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Treat “Tell me about yourself” the same way.
How should you structure your answer?
A start, two or three experiences, the turn to banking and a close: five parts in about two minutes.
- The start, in two sentences. Your school and major, and the moment finance became interesting. Skip high school unless it's the hook.
- Experience one. What you did, with a number or a deliverable, and what it taught you.
- Experience two, and maybe three. Each one should move you closer to banking: a club role, an internship, a project you started yourself.
- The turn to banking. One sentence that connects the dots: why these experiences point to investment banking now.
- The close. Why you're in this interview: the firm, the group, or the role. Then stop.
What does a good answer sound like?
A story with a direction. Here's an example from a non-target student's point of view:
Example“I grew up in Ohio and I'm now a junior at a state university, studying finance. I didn't know anyone in banking when I started, so my first real exposure was our student investment fund. I joined as an analyst, built models for two industrials pitches, and learned how much a few assumptions drive the answer. This year I run the fund's research team, which means reviewing six analysts' models every week and getting them ready to present.
Last summer I interned in the finance department of a regional distributor. I built the monthly variance report and helped the CFO compare two small acquisition targets: I pulled the comparable companies and put together the summary he took to the owners. It was the first time I saw how a deal gets evaluated from the inside.
That project is what pointed me to banking: I want to do that analysis on live transactions, at a faster pace and with a team that expects a lot. This year I've been networking with analysts and preparing for recruiting, and that's what brings me here today.”
That's about 180 words, or roughly 85 seconds at 130 words a minute. Superday Room's target for this question is 120 seconds. Swap in your own experiences; keep the order and the one-line turn to banking.
What if you're from a non-target school?
Lead with initiative: what you sought out on your own is your strongest material.
- Don't apologize for your school. Interviewers have your resume; spend the time on what you did.
- Show the initiative. Without a campus pipeline, what you sought out on your own (the fund, the networking, the self-study, the internship you found) is your strongest material.
- Make the path make sense. If you switched majors or schools, give each move one reason. One variant candidates reported from a Bank of America interview asks you to explain the reasoning behind each transition.
More on recruiting without a campus pipeline: target vs non-target schools.
What should you leave out?
Anything that reads your resume back instead of connecting it.
- Reading the resume line by line. They can read it; you're there to connect it.
- GPA and test scores, unless you're asked.
- Every club and every role. Two or three experiences, chosen for the story.
- A long setup before the first experience.
- “I've always been passionate about finance” with nothing behind it.
- Running past two minutes. Past that, interviewers stop listening and start waiting.
What follow-ups should you expect?
Questions that dig into your story or move on to your motivation:
- “Why investment banking?”
- Often the next question. Keep your reasons consistent with the story you just told. How to answer it →
- “Which experience was most relevant?”
- Pick one and give a concrete deliverable: the model, the memo, the analysis.
- “What would you do differently?”
- One honest change and what you learned from it, without criticizing anyone.
- “Tell me about a time…”
- A behavioral story, best told with STAR. Behavioral questions with short answers →
Frequently asked questions
- How long should “Walk me through your resume” be?
- About 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Superday Room's target for this question is 120 seconds.
- Is “Tell me about yourself” the same question?
- Answer it the same way: a short story of your path to banking, not a list. If the interviewer wants a different angle, they'll follow up.
- Should I mention my GPA?
- Not unless you're asked. It's on your resume; spend the time on what you did and why it points to banking.
- What if I go to a non-target school?
- Don't apologize for it. Lead with the initiative you showed: the clubs, internships, networking and self-study you sought out on your own.
Sources
- Superday Room, “Superday Room question bank: questions tagged by the firm and interview round candidates reported”, counted October 29, 2026.