By George Thompson As a result of the COVID pandemic, the size of the workforce in the investment banking sector has reduced by 5%, compared to last year. But, we can expect light at the end of the tunnel, as some day or the other, the economy will revive itself, and the things will fall back to the normal. Sooner or later, the pandemic will come to an end, and the financial markets will reopen to recruiting, once again.
And that’s why, you need to be prepared for grabbing those rare opportunities that will emerge, soon after the pandemic ends. Enroling in an investment banking certification program, can prove to be a great choice, preparing for an entry-level job role in investment banking. Firstly, it’s cost-efficient, and secondly, you don’t need much time to acquire professional credentials in the said sector. Examinations too, are held online, to acquire such valuable skill-based banking credentials.
Size of the workforce in the investment banking sector, globally, amid Q1 2015 to Q1 2020 (in 1,000s)
Source: Statista
As per the renowned German market-research firm Statista, in the wake of the recent lay-offs, powered by the pandemic, there is a significant decrease observed this year, in the number of active investment bankers, globally. Only 49,000 professionals across the world were reported to be working in the first quarter of 2020, which is a big drop in number, compared to the Q1 of 2019.
What Do We Mean by Investment Banking?
It is a division of a bank or financial institution that provides financial advisory services to corporations, wealthy institutions, and the government. Investment bankers offer financial advisory regarding capital-raising, and M& A deals.
Investment banks provide for a variety of financial services to high net worth individuals and institutional investors, such as underwriting, commercial banking support, asset management, equity research, and Mergers & Acquisitions advisory.
Is It Worth It to Become an Investment Banker?
If you like money, a luxurious lifestyle, and love traveling, investment banking career is custom-made for you. Investment bankers enjoy a variety of perks, being associated with the said sector. You earn handsome pays, yearly bonuses, and a respectable position in the financial services industry.
You work long hours, may be 16-17 hours a day, at the start of your career, but then, you feel an adrenaline rush each day, being working in a job role that deal in millions and billion dollar deals. It’s an interesting job to be into, and you feel important, each day at work.
In the best way possible, we can describe the life of an investment banking professional as what’s shown in the movie – ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It’s fast-moving, sucks all your energy in a few hours in the day, and there are big ups and downs in the financial markets that happen in a matter of a few hours in the day. It’s basically, a roller coaster ride, that you ride each day.
The risks are big, and the tensions grow even bigger each second you spend in the financial markets. It’s not for the chicken-hearted, that’s for sure.
How One Can Become an Investment Banker?
Investment banking is an elitist job, and you need to be preparing for it, well in advance, starting from your education. Having a suitable educational ground plays a critical role, in you being taken seriously for the entry-level jobs in investment banking.
Steps to becoming an investment banker:
- Secure a college degree in finance, or a related subject discipline.
- Try taking admission into an ivy league business school.
- Acquire an advanced degree in finance, may be an MBA in finance, from a top-tier business school, or university.
- Networking is key, to get interviews for entry-level roles.
Securing an Investment Banking Internship
A majority of big investment banks offer summer internships to college graduates in finance, across the world. A few of these comprise – the RBS Group, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, among many others. If your application gets accepted at any of these big banks, don’t even think of missing it.
Investment Bankers’ Day-to-Day Activities
On an average, an investment banker works 80-100 hours a week. It amounts to an excess work, equivalent to more than 50% of what an average professional in some other industry would work in a week. As per, what renowned investment banker, Andrew Gutmann, wrote in his book, an investment banker starts his day at 10 in the morning, and has to extend it to 2 in the morning, the next day, most of the time.
Critical Skills, Required to Succeed as a Potential Banker
- Financial modeling
- LBO models
- DCF (discounted cash flow) models
- Statement models
- Creating Financial Reports and Pitch Books
- Performing transaction documentation
- Performing business valuation tasks
- Sales and business development capabilities
- Networking & negotiation skills
- Soft skills, to build robust professional relationships
How, an Investment Banking Professional, Spends His Working Day?
However, it depends on, what position you work at, in the hierarchy. The workday, usually starts quite late, as the financial markets in New York don’t open in the early hours of the day. One more reason for investment bankers starting their day late, is that they end their workday at around 2 in the night (or one could say, morning), and hence, simply cannot start their next day at 7 in the morning.
Bankers work much slower during the mornings, as compared to the remaining hours in the day, which is a fact. Analysts and associates in the early hours of the working day, take onto the tasks assigned by the senior team members.
Important Note: As a junior member in an investment banking team, try answering as much emails and messages during the morning hours, as you can. It would help you throughout the workday, as the professionals working as analysts and associates are not allowed more than 15 minutes to respond to mails from senior management. You can succeed in lessening your workload to a certain extent by taking onto the mails, at the start of the day.
Lunch is limited to a duration of 45 minutes. Hierarchical structure is quite rigid at an investment bank, and you must not try playing around with the seniors, across divisions, and in your team.
Lorenzo Billie 
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