A majority of investment bankers are Type A personalities. Competitive, driven, and ambitious; cultured to adapt to high-stress environment. It takes people with a certain kind of acumen and personality to reach higher ranks in investment banking.
Career in investment banking is perhaps one of the hardest jobs marked by long and stressful working hours. Those who make it, rise and shine. This is the reason it is a popular career choice among graduates, particularly those in finance and business.
Before you find yourself lost in the sea of industry jargons and knowledge that make the trek to investment banking seems excruciating, here is a mountain top view. These are the 5 big motivators to keep you inspired to pursue the career.
5 Rewards of an Investment Banking Career
- Big Bucks and Big Bucks!
Well, of course, the profession is high on green! Investment Bankers are among the highest paid graduates, and professionals. Heavy compensation tied to the market and bonuses that often surpass their salaries is the hallmark of investment banking industry. It’s especially rewarding for students strapped with education loans and financial burdens of independent living. The industry offers concrete career progression with unparalleled financial benefits. Without a doubt, it’s the fastest way to financial security.
- You will learn a lot very quickly.
In just a few years of your career in investment banking, not only you will earn a lot but gain varied knowledge at in-depth levels. Investment banking is considered as the best platform for finance and MBA professionals to pick up the industry knowledge while being on the job. You will know about the business and financial aspects of economic world from inside out.
Skills imparted in the investment banking industry are also highly transferable. This is because investment banking professionals are not short of exit options (when one plans to leave the industry to join another). From attention to detail to complex financial models, investment bankers gain a knack in all.
For better or worse, these are the skills that never leave them.
- Opportunity to work with collegial and industrious people. Clients and colleagues.
Your day will begin at 10 and may continue till 8 in the night or longer. Such are the working hours. That said, you will interact with intelligent and industrious people during this time. Each event would add value to your knowledge base. Professionals working in the industry as well as clients are usually experienced and respect results.
You may find yourself running models and recalculating deals that you thought died the previous year.
- Gain a high-worth network.
Investment banking is an extremely social activity. To work in the front-end M&A segments of investment banking, networking is crucial. In return, the industry earns you a network equivalent to gold. Due to this aspect as well, investment bankers attract recruiters from about all industry types – from niche businesses, government institutions, private equity, and others. As graduates usually begin their careers with investment banking, it is the best time to make contacts and learn all you can.
- Exciting life full of high-stake moments.
Those with a career in investment banking work with a sense of urgency. Taking more than 10 minutes to respond could be categorized as being unresponsive. To the world, as soon as possible sort of means immediately. The turnaround time is not as high-stake in other industries. The fast-paced life of an investment banker builds in one the stamina to take on total exhaustion and yet survive and instill the ethics of time management.
Prepared to take on this taxing yet rewarding career? Take on an investment banking certification to swim through troubled waters and get your foot into this fast-paced and competitive industry. Join the league of sharpest, best paid professionals and score opportunities to work on complex deals.
