How long should a Morgan Stanley resume be?

One page for every Summer Analyst, Full-Time Analyst, Lateral Associate, and Experienced Associate application across Investment Banking, Institutional Equities, Wealth Management, and MS Investment Management. Vice President and above applying as experienced hires may extend to one and a half pages only if the substance demands it. Two pages are accepted only for MD-level or senior lateral applications with 15+ years of deal or coverage experience. The MD or VP reviewing your CV spends under 45 seconds — a two-page CV at junior level loses the reader. Use 10-11pt body text and 0.5-inch margins.

Why is Morgan Stanley's TMT franchise weighted heavily on CVs?

MS TMT has been #1 or #2 in global tech M&A for most of the past two decades. The Frank Quattrone legacy (pre-Credit Suisse) left a deep bench of TMT MDs, and MS TMT Analysts see outsized flow of named tech-M&A, growth-equity-lead-managed IPOs, and carve-outs. Recruiters for TMT applications explicitly look for: named tech internship experience (any FAANG, a Series B+ startup with commercial traction, a tech-focused VC / growth fund like Insight, General Atlantic, TPG Growth, or Silver Lake), a winning tech-focused stock-pitch or case competition, or a published research note on a tech sub-sector. List these prominently if you have them — they differentiate you from generic MS IB applicants.

What makes a Morgan Stanley resume different from Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan?

Structurally identical — one page, education first, reverse-chronological experience, deal experience integrated or broken out, leadership, additional. The vocabulary and signal differ. Morgan Stanley bullets favour 'advisory depth', 'strategic', 'TMT franchise', 'client-facing' — reflecting MS's advisory dominance and Wealth + Investment Management integration. Goldman bullets favour 'rigour', 'commercial intellect', narrow spike, specific model and memo deliverables. JP Morgan bullets favour 'scale', 'balance-sheet', 'universal bank', breadth across products per client. MS weights advisory judgement and written deliverables (memos, pitches, fairness opinions drafted) more than the raw model count. If applying to all three, use the same base CV and swap vocabulary emphasis and most-recent deal experience.

How do I signal fit with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management vs Investment Banking?

Wealth Management (WM) and Investment Banking (IB) are separate recruiting pipelines with different CV templates. IB Analyst CVs emphasise deal execution: $ deal size, counterparty, your workstream, outcome. WM Financial Advisor Associate Programme (FAAP) CVs emphasise relationship management, sales results, planning-tool fluency, and cross-sell. Named metrics for WM: household AUM, net flows, number of households covered, planning-tool fluency (Morgan Stanley Goals Planning, Aladdin Wealth, E*TRADE-integrated tools), Series 7 / 63 / 65 / 66 / CFP progression. WM also runs a distinct Analyst pipeline through the Wealth Management Analyst programme and the MS Next-Gen Financial Advisor track. Your CV must clearly signal which pipeline you are targeting.

What is Morgan Stanley's HireVue + Pymetrics + Super Day process?

HireVue is MS's asynchronous video interview — 3-5 questions, 30-60 seconds each, AI-scored on content, communication, and behavioural signals. Pymetrics is a cognitive and behavioural assessment — 12 short games measuring attention, risk tolerance, pattern recognition, and emotional processing. Both feed into the Super Day invite along with the resume. Super Day is 3-6 back-to-back 30-minute behavioural + technical interviews with bankers at different levels. The resume remains the gatekeeper — HireVue and Pymetrics do not rescue a weak CV. Your CV needs to pass the recruiter screener before HireVue is unlocked.

Should I list CFA progression on a Morgan Stanley resume?

Depends on the division. For MSIM (Morgan Stanley Investment Management) — yes, CFA Level 1 or above is a strong differentiator and should be in the additional section. For Institutional Equities research and sales — yes, weighted. For Wealth Management — Series 7 / 63 / 65 / 66 / CFP are more weighted than CFA, though CFA helps for ultra-high-net-worth coverage and MSWM Research. For pure IB Analyst applications — CFA Level 1 is a mild plus (signals finance commitment) but not expected. Always list progression ('CFA Level 2 Candidate, June 2026 sitting') rather than aspirational (never list CFA unless you have passed at least Level 1).

Can I get a Morgan Stanley interview from a non-target school?

Yes — MS recruits from non-targets if the CV signals advisory depth or deep domain expertise. The path is a winning case competition (Ross, Wharton, Darden, LSE), a published research note on a tech or healthcare sub-sector, an investment-club PM role with a named portfolio and benchmark performance, a pre-IB internship at a regional bank or boutique (especially TMT or Healthcare focused), or a sustained athletic, research, or entrepreneurial outcome. Non-finance majors — Engineering, CS, Biology — are well-regarded for TMT and Healthcare industry groups. Your CV must compensate for the non-target signal with a visible, specific, quantified advisory or domain spike.

What are the most common reasons Morgan Stanley rejects a resume?

(1) Deal bullets without $ size, counterparty, or your specific advisory workstream — generic 'supported M&A' is a screen-kill phrase. (2) Missing GPA when above 3.5 — screeners assume sub-threshold. (3) Weak advisory-judgement signal — bullets listing quantitative model work without any client-facing or memo-authorship language. (4) Two-page resume at Analyst or Associate level — automatic screen reject. (5) Wrong-division framing — applying to Wealth Management with IB-only bullets, or to MSIM with generic advisory framing. (6) Missing Series 79 / CFA / Series 7-63-65-66 / CFP progression where relevant to the specific track. (7) Missing language proficiency for non-US office applications. (8) Additional section with generic skills ('Microsoft Office', 'teamwork') instead of named fluencies. WadeCV aligns your CV with a specific Morgan Stanley job description, rewrites bullets with quantified outcomes, and reformats to MS's one-page standard.

Morgan Stanley Resume Guide

Morgan Stanley screens resumes against a bar that weights advisory judgement, TMT and Healthcare industry-group depth, and Wealth + Investment Management integration. #1 or #2 in Global Advisory and global ECM most years, with a Wealth Management business that drives roughly 45% of firm revenue, MS is structurally different from Goldman and JPM. The CV screen feeds into HireVue video interview, Pymetrics cognitive assessment, and Super Day (3-6 back-to-back 30-minute behavioural + technical interviews). This guide covers exactly how Morgan Stanley recruiters read a resume, how to signal fit with Investment Banking vs Institutional Equities vs Wealth Management vs MS Investment Management, and what to include in your one-page CV to pass the screen.

Typical hiring requirements

Top academic record — 3.5+ GPA / First / 2:1 minimum at targets (Wharton, Stern, Harvard, Columbia, Haas, Ross, LSE, Oxbridge, Bocconi, INSEAD, HEC), 3.7+ at semi-targets and non-targets
Standardised test scores if strong — SAT 1450+, ACT 32+, GMAT 730+, GRE 330+ — listed in the education block
Quantified deal experience — $ size, buyer/target/sponsor, your specific workstream, deal outcome; TMT or Healthcare exposure is heavily weighted
Named leadership with role title, team size, measurable outcome — investment-club PM, stock-pitch competition winner, founded venture, D1 athletics captain
Advisory judgement signal — evidence of client-facing work, stakeholder management, written deliverables authored (memos, reports, pitch materials)
Division signalling — Investment Banking (M&A, LevFin, ECM, DCM, Global Capital Markets, Sponsors), Institutional Equities (Cash, Derivatives, Prime Brokerage, ETF), Wealth Management (Financial Advisor, Next-Gen Advisor), MS Investment Management (MSIM)
Technical fluencies — advanced Excel, PowerPoint, Capital IQ, FactSet, Bloomberg, VBA, Python for Markets / MSIM roles
Language proficiency relevant to the hiring office — French/German/Italian/Spanish for London-EU, Mandarin for Hong Kong, Japanese for Tokyo, Portuguese for Sao Paulo

Keywords to include

analysisfinancialmodellingclientteamdue diligencetransactionvaluationmarketsriskcompliancepresentationExceldatastakeholderdeadlinesell-sidebuy-sideIPOLBOsponsorDCFaccretion/dilutionCIMTMTHealthcareadvisoryWealth ManagementMSIMInstitutional Equitiesprime brokerageBloombergCapital IQSuper DayHireVue

Sample resume snippet

Built three-statement operating model, DCF, and precedent-transaction analysis for $3.8B Morgan Stanley sell-side advisory of TMT target to strategic acquirer; drafted 58-page confidential information memorandum and 44-page management presentation; negotiated final NDA and process letter; deal signed at 14.2x LTM EBITDA, 26% premium to 90-day VWAP, closing Q4 2025.

Morgan Stanley resumes are one page for every Summer Analyst, Full-Time Analyst, Lateral Associate, and Experienced Associate application across Investment Banking, Institutional Equities, Wealth Management, and MS Investment Management. Structure: education first (institution, degree, GPA to two decimals, classification, relevant coursework, study abroad, SAT/ACT/GMAT/GRE if strong), then professional experience reverse-chronologically with deal experience integrated or broken out, then leadership, then additional (languages, technical skills, certifications, publications, awards). MSIM applicants should move CFA progression to a prominent position in the additional section — it is weighted heavier than at IB-only peers.

Morgan Stanley bullets lean 'advisory' and 'strategic'. Where Goldman bullets favour 'rigour' and JP Morgan bullets favour 'scale' and 'balance-sheet', MS bullets foreground advisory judgement, client-facing work, and strategic-outcome framing — particularly in TMT and Healthcare, where MS has historic dominance. The best MS IB Analyst bullet reads like an MD's fairness-opinion discussion summary: '$ deal size, sector, buyer/target/sponsor, your specific advisory contribution, deal outcome with multiple or premium'. For Institutional Equities (Cash, Derivatives, Prime Brokerage, Futures, ETF, One Delta), bullets should state asset class, client-coverage scope (top-N names, AUM covered), flow-vs-risk metrics, and PnL. Wealth Management Financial Advisor and Next-Gen Advisor tracks use a different CV template — household AUM, net flows, relationship depth, cross-sell metrics, and named planning tools (Morgan Stanley Goals Planning, Smith Barney legacy platform). MSIM Analysts and Associates should name the sleeve (Global Fixed Income, Core Equity, Solutions and Multi-Asset, Alternatives, Private Credit), the AUM covered, the benchmark, and alpha or benchmark-comparable performance.

MS organises Investment Banking by industry group (TMT, Healthcare, FIG, Natural Resources, Industrials, Consumer/Retail, Real Estate) and product group (M&A, LevFin, ECM, DCM, Global Capital Markets, Sponsors). TMT is the flagship franchise — Frank Quattrone's legacy pre-Credit Suisse — and remains #1 or #2 globally most years; MS TMT Analysts will see more tech-M&A and growth-equity-lead-managed IPO flow than peers. Healthcare is the second-flagship franchise, heavy in biotech M&A and orphan-drug advisory. Wealth Management is an entirely separate recruiting pipeline — the Financial Advisor Associate Programme (FAAP), the Morgan Stanley at Work programme (for workplace-financial-wellness coverage), and the E*TRADE-integrated digital-first coverage model. Your CV must signal which pipeline clearly.

The four common resume-screen rejections at Morgan Stanley: (1) deal bullets without $ size, counterparty, or specific advisory workstream — generic 'supported M&A' fails TMT and Healthcare screens particularly hard; (2) missing GPA when above 3.5 — screeners assume sub-threshold; (3) weak advisory-judgement signal — bullets listing quantitative model work without any client-facing or memo-authorship language; (4) two-page resume at Analyst or Associate level. Fix these and pass the HireVue + Super Day gate. WadeCV aligns your existing CV with a specific Morgan Stanley job description, rewrites bullets with quantified deal outcomes from your history, and reformats to MS's one-page standard. For cross-bank comparison and the differences with Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citi, BlackRock, and elite boutiques, see the [investment banking resume pillar guide](/investment-banking-resume).

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Common mistakes to avoid

Using generic verbs ('worked on', 'assisted with', 'supported') instead of ownership verbs with specific advisory deliverables ('drafted CIM', 'built three-statement model', 'negotiated NDA and process letter')
Submitting a two-page resume at Analyst or Associate level — automatic screen reject
Missing or hidden GPA when above 3.5 at targets or 3.7 at semi-targets — screeners interpret absence as sub-threshold
Deal bullets without $ size, buyer/target/sponsor, or deal status — generic 'M&A transaction' framing fails particularly hard at TMT and Healthcare screens
Applying to Wealth Management or MSIM with IB-only framing — each division has its own vocabulary and signal bar
Weak advisory-judgement signal — modelling work listed without any client-facing or memo-authorship language
Missing Series 79 / CFA / Series 7-63-65-66 / CFP progression where relevant to the specific track
Additional section with generic skills ('Microsoft Office', 'teamwork') instead of specific fluencies (Capital IQ, FactSet, Bloomberg, advanced Excel LBO / accretion, Aladdin Wealth, Morgan Stanley Goals Planning)

Frequently asked questions

How long should a Morgan Stanley resume be?
One page for every Summer Analyst, Full-Time Analyst, Lateral Associate, and Experienced Associate application across Investment Banking, Institutional Equities, Wealth Management, and MS Investment Management. Vice President and above applying as experienced hires may extend to one and a half pages only if the substance demands it. Two pages are accepted only for MD-level or senior lateral applications with 15+ years of deal or coverage experience. The MD or VP reviewing your CV spends under 45 seconds — a two-page CV at junior level loses the reader. Use 10-11pt body text and 0.5-inch margins.
Why is Morgan Stanley's TMT franchise weighted heavily on CVs?
MS TMT has been #1 or #2 in global tech M&A for most of the past two decades. The Frank Quattrone legacy (pre-Credit Suisse) left a deep bench of TMT MDs, and MS TMT Analysts see outsized flow of named tech-M&A, growth-equity-lead-managed IPOs, and carve-outs. Recruiters for TMT applications explicitly look for: named tech internship experience (any FAANG, a Series B+ startup with commercial traction, a tech-focused VC / growth fund like Insight, General Atlantic, TPG Growth, or Silver Lake), a winning tech-focused stock-pitch or case competition, or a published research note on a tech sub-sector. List these prominently if you have them — they differentiate you from generic MS IB applicants.
What makes a Morgan Stanley resume different from Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan?
Structurally identical — one page, education first, reverse-chronological experience, deal experience integrated or broken out, leadership, additional. The vocabulary and signal differ. Morgan Stanley bullets favour 'advisory depth', 'strategic', 'TMT franchise', 'client-facing' — reflecting MS's advisory dominance and Wealth + Investment Management integration. Goldman bullets favour 'rigour', 'commercial intellect', narrow spike, specific model and memo deliverables. JP Morgan bullets favour 'scale', 'balance-sheet', 'universal bank', breadth across products per client. MS weights advisory judgement and written deliverables (memos, pitches, fairness opinions drafted) more than the raw model count. If applying to all three, use the same base CV and swap vocabulary emphasis and most-recent deal experience.
How do I signal fit with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management vs Investment Banking?
Wealth Management (WM) and Investment Banking (IB) are separate recruiting pipelines with different CV templates. IB Analyst CVs emphasise deal execution: $ deal size, counterparty, your workstream, outcome. WM Financial Advisor Associate Programme (FAAP) CVs emphasise relationship management, sales results, planning-tool fluency, and cross-sell. Named metrics for WM: household AUM, net flows, number of households covered, planning-tool fluency (Morgan Stanley Goals Planning, Aladdin Wealth, E*TRADE-integrated tools), Series 7 / 63 / 65 / 66 / CFP progression. WM also runs a distinct Analyst pipeline through the Wealth Management Analyst programme and the MS Next-Gen Financial Advisor track. Your CV must clearly signal which pipeline you are targeting.
What is Morgan Stanley's HireVue + Pymetrics + Super Day process?
HireVue is MS's asynchronous video interview — 3-5 questions, 30-60 seconds each, AI-scored on content, communication, and behavioural signals. Pymetrics is a cognitive and behavioural assessment — 12 short games measuring attention, risk tolerance, pattern recognition, and emotional processing. Both feed into the Super Day invite along with the resume. Super Day is 3-6 back-to-back 30-minute behavioural + technical interviews with bankers at different levels. The resume remains the gatekeeper — HireVue and Pymetrics do not rescue a weak CV. Your CV needs to pass the recruiter screener before HireVue is unlocked.
Should I list CFA progression on a Morgan Stanley resume?
Depends on the division. For MSIM (Morgan Stanley Investment Management) — yes, CFA Level 1 or above is a strong differentiator and should be in the additional section. For Institutional Equities research and sales — yes, weighted. For Wealth Management — Series 7 / 63 / 65 / 66 / CFP are more weighted than CFA, though CFA helps for ultra-high-net-worth coverage and MSWM Research. For pure IB Analyst applications — CFA Level 1 is a mild plus (signals finance commitment) but not expected. Always list progression ('CFA Level 2 Candidate, June 2026 sitting') rather than aspirational (never list CFA unless you have passed at least Level 1).
Can I get a Morgan Stanley interview from a non-target school?
Yes — MS recruits from non-targets if the CV signals advisory depth or deep domain expertise. The path is a winning case competition (Ross, Wharton, Darden, LSE), a published research note on a tech or healthcare sub-sector, an investment-club PM role with a named portfolio and benchmark performance, a pre-IB internship at a regional bank or boutique (especially TMT or Healthcare focused), or a sustained athletic, research, or entrepreneurial outcome. Non-finance majors — Engineering, CS, Biology — are well-regarded for TMT and Healthcare industry groups. Your CV must compensate for the non-target signal with a visible, specific, quantified advisory or domain spike.
What are the most common reasons Morgan Stanley rejects a resume?
(1) Deal bullets without $ size, counterparty, or your specific advisory workstream — generic 'supported M&A' is a screen-kill phrase. (2) Missing GPA when above 3.5 — screeners assume sub-threshold. (3) Weak advisory-judgement signal — bullets listing quantitative model work without any client-facing or memo-authorship language. (4) Two-page resume at Analyst or Associate level — automatic screen reject. (5) Wrong-division framing — applying to Wealth Management with IB-only bullets, or to MSIM with generic advisory framing. (6) Missing Series 79 / CFA / Series 7-63-65-66 / CFP progression where relevant to the specific track. (7) Missing language proficiency for non-US office applications. (8) Additional section with generic skills ('Microsoft Office', 'teamwork') instead of named fluencies. WadeCV aligns your CV with a specific Morgan Stanley job description, rewrites bullets with quantified outcomes, and reformats to MS's one-page standard.

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