Position your resume for Corp Dev
Corp Dev recruiters look for someone who can run a deal end to end and also argue why the company should do it. Surface both the technical and the strategic.
- Lead with deal involvement. Name the transaction type (acquisition, minority investment, divestiture, joint venture) and your role in it. "Built the valuation model and led diligence workstreams on a strategic acquisition" is exactly the language they scan for.
- Show the full deal lifecycle. Sourcing, valuation, diligence, negotiation support, and integration are the five phases. The more of them you can credibly claim, the stronger you look. Most candidates only have a few.
- Quantify scope. Deal size, number of transactions, model complexity. Keep figures honest and directional if you can't be exact.
- Surface the keywords. M&A, valuation, DCF, comparable companies, diligence, deal execution, financial modeling, strategic rationale, synergies, integration, term sheet, LOI.
- Prove strategic thinking. Corp Dev differs from banking in that you have to live with the deal. A bullet showing you assessed whether a deal made sense, not just executed it, sets you apart from the banker pile.
Translate your background
- Banking → Your default advantage. Reframe execution reps as deal leadership, and emphasize any time you formed a view on strategic fit, not just ran the process.
- Consulting → Lean into diligence, market assessment, and synergy analysis. You've effectively done buy-side commercial diligence. Add any modeling you can credibly claim.
- Corporate / strategy / FP&A → Emphasize business cases, build-vs-buy analysis, and any modeling or valuation work. You understand the operator's side, which Corp Dev values highly.
- PE / VC → Strong fit; lean into sourcing, valuation, and ownership of a thesis.
- Operating / startup → Any acquisition you were near, any fundraise, any build-vs-buy decision is relevant. Frame it as strategic-rationale judgment.
What a strong candidate signals
- Deal fluency — you can speak the language of valuation and diligence without hesitation.
- Strategic judgment — you can argue why a deal does or doesn't serve the company's strategy.
- Execution stamina — deals are long, detailed, and high-stakes; you sweat the details.
- Cross-functional credibility — you'll work with legal, product, finance, and the CEO; you have to earn their trust.
Reflect as you draft
Deal Experience
1. What is the most significant transaction or financial decision you've worked on?
- What was your specific contribution across sourcing, analysis, diligence, or execution?
- What did you learn about why deals succeed or fail?
Strategic Rationale
2. When have you argued for or against a major decision on strategic grounds?
- How did you weigh financial return against strategic fit?
- When have you recommended not doing something that looked attractive?
Valuation Comfort
3. How comfortable are you building and defending a valuation?
- Where do you have concrete modeling reps (DCF, comps, accretion/dilution)?
- Where are your gaps, and how will you close them before interviews?
Operator Mindset
4. Why do you want in-house Corp Dev rather than advisory M&A?
- What draws you to living with the consequences of a deal?
- Which sector's M&A activity genuinely interests you?
Sector Fit
5. Which company's acquisition strategy do you most admire, and why?
- What pattern do you see in the deals they do?
- Where would your background give you an edge in evaluating their targets?