Careers in Investment Banking

The lucrative world of investment banking is marked by the hefty packages and long working hours. Careers in investment banking are meant for qualified individuals who can deal with high profile clients, and perform exceptionally in the core area of investment and finance. Despite being competitive and time intensive, an investment banking job offers an exciting lifestyle for the employees, who can bag huge financial incentives at the end of the day. The job profile in this field involves extensive traveling and grueling hours, but gives the glimpse of a larger-than-life place where big deals are done and fortunes are made overnight. It also gives an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of corporate finance and pick up analytical skills, which remain useful for the rest of the individual's career.

The investment banks provide governments and giant corporations with investment services. These services may include buying, selling, and trading securities, or managing assets. Such banks also provide an advisory panel in form of consultants for big clients, in order to give financial advices and investment ideas. These panels are very helpful for the clients as they suggest how to manage securities for raising finance, take-overs, mergers and acquisitions. Investment banks also deal in security trading, bonds, equities and derivatives, and offer brokerage and distribution facilities. They are very different from commercial banks, which deal with the collection of deposits from clients and give direct loans to organizations and individuals. Investment banks also keep track of the market trends, in order to give profitable advices on making public offerings.

Job Profiles in Investment Banking
Here are some of the typical job profiles which are offered to the bright people looking ahead to make their careers in investment banking.

• Fund Manager: Fund managers in investment banks look after money held by insurance companies, pension funds, and unit trusts. They research markets and apply the knowledge of investment analysts, in order to invest the client's money for long-term growth. Fund managers also meet high profile clients and investors to make and discuss investment strategies.
• Investment Banker: Investment bankers belong to two departments namely corporate finance and operations. The role of an investment banker dealing with corporate finance is to advise companies, institutions and governments, and help them to achieve their financial goals. These bankers act on behalf of clients and raise money on the capital markets. They also meet CEOs, CFOs, board members, and other high profile candidates of a company, and carry out business deals. Investment bankers dealing with operations, support front-office staff and deal with queries from clients. They help the management of daily processes of clearing and settling transactions made in the front office, and supervise the teams of clerks in the office.
• Investment Analyst: Investment analysts keep track of vital market information for clients and provide them when investment decisions are made. Their major job is to research different aspects of share prices and companies’ abilities to pay back their debts.
• Stockbroker and Trader: Stockbrokers advise clients on investment strategies and risk management. Their main job is to purchase and sell securities on behalf of the clients and obtain a best possible deal for them. For this purpose they interview clients and assess their requirements regarding the kind of investments they want to make. Traders deal in financial products or commodities, and read the market to get maximum benefits for their clients. They keep in touch with their own research and sales teams, in order to come up with a good and flexible stock trading strategy.

The high-energy, hardworking and dynamic hotshots of investment banking are the ones who draw big salaries for their work. Needless to say, their success totally depends on the ability to provide efficient and round the clock financial services of clients, and demonstrate flexibility and innovativeness in their work.