Investment banking is a
field that never starts to get any less interesting. It deals with money and
that, for obvious reasons, is one aspect that makes it fast-paced and intense
on a plethora of levels. Hence, joining this space of work is not cut out for
amateurs. Especially because it is known for hiring only the best of the best
professionals who are exceptionally well-versed with finance, math, research,
and troubleshooting.
After all, the job of
an investment banker is to advise people on where to put their money. They have
to own the conviction and the confidence to promise a good return on the
investments made by their clients. So, you can imagine the degree of work that
bankers deal with on a day to day basis. This article will give you a wider
idea of what exactly IB professionals do and how is it possible for someone to
enter this field of work.
Investment
Banking professional – what do they do?
If you ask me to explain the job of an
investment banker in layman term, I would say that they match the preferences
and expectations of people who possess money with those who require it. And,
mind you when I say that it is not as easy as it sounds. Investment Banking Professionals
take up the responsibility of advising clients across a project’s life cycle,
through and through. By that I mean, they have to offer help to people from the
starting phase of the project to the stock market listing. Which means they got
to understand the market from one spectrum to the other.
The
Route to becoming an Investment Banking Professional
As I mentioned earlier,
not everyone can be an investment banker. There is a group of skills that one
must own to build a career path into the remunerative world of investment
banking. The general skills required to become an IB professional are:
• Good with research
• Analytical mindset
• Excellent communication
• Creative mind
• Technological competence
• Capacity to solve problems
• Knowledge of forecast as well as budgets
To tell the truth, a
person belonging to any field of knowledge can break into IB, however, they are
supposed to attain a certain level of expertise in math, business studies, and
economics.
Ways
to give a kick start to your IB career
In typical cases,
people with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in finance are apt for joining the
IB space. Pursuing an MBA is also a practical option for professionals wanting
to enter investment banking with ease. Over and above, earning an investment banking certification is also a feasible option since it gives one competitive
advantage and enables them to stand out during interviews.
For an entry-level
analyst job in IB, just a bachelor’s degree would do. But, for becoming
eligible for higher level roles and to handle high-degree projects, having a
master’s degree and certification is more preferable.