Having an MBA from a top-tier school and experience working for an investment bank is not required, but is definitely recommended for entry to a private equity firm. In fact, last year, the Private Equity Compensation Report revealed that about half of the participants did not have an MBA and there was only a 7 percent difference in pay compared to those who did.

Whatever your experience, your resume is a marketing tool that should reveal your strengths in a meaningful way. Here are some valuable tips to help:

Your private equity document should be results focused with specific, quantifiable information about what you did and how you achieved the results. The main and critical difference between a private equity resume and a “normal” resume is that yours must highlight specific agreements. Private equity firms are especially focused on your trading experience, so be sure to highlight them in a meaningful way.

Assuming you are transitioning from an investment bank, your related work experience should be included, including a summary of your agreements and any relevant special projects. Note that the information should highlight your analytical skills and the types of deals you have worked on. Specifically, private equity firms are interested in M&A deals and debt leverage.

Be sure to refer to the information about the skills you developed during the negotiation process. This will likely include information on deal sourcing and due diligence, leveraged buying and accretion / dilution modeling and valuations, and any involvement you have had in developing and executing an exit strategy.

When referencing your offers, don’t just list the transaction. You want to engage the reader. The best way to do this is to list the transaction and then provide a short synopsis of what you did. Highlight interesting or unique things to give the reader an idea of ​​your contribution and what you learned. Here is an example.

Sale of $ 7 billion from “Company A” to “Company B”

• Collaborated with the CFO to create financial and other models regarding Company A’s holdings in domestic and international markets.
• Conducted a comprehensive analysis of the industry both domestically and abroad as part of the due diligence process. Preparation of valuations and merger models used during the presentations.

Throughout the resume, you should provide results-oriented information to hold the reader’s attention. Consider providing the reader with details about your efforts to negotiate the deal, market analysis, or anything else that demonstrates your skills.

An important component in selecting the offers that are highlighted on the resume is making sure you choose those transactions in which you learned a significant amount and / or had a lot of responsibility. It’s okay to reference smaller deals as long as they demonstrate your active participation and contribution.

In short, your own diligence and careful planning will ensure that you produce a resume that will generate the interviews. Take advantage of your strengths and how you hope to add value in a new role. Highlight what you’ve learned and contributed in previous roles to help your audience understand what you can do for them.