Becoming an Investment Banker — Know About Courses, Skills & More!

Harsh
4 min readJun 25, 2021

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Original Image From Marwadi University

So, you’re on a hunt to know how to become an investment banker? Well, I’ve made a post that can be of great help to you! Investment banking is a career that rewards you handsomely and provides you with immense personal growth. Read to learn more!

One of the most exciting and taxing career paths of the finance field is — Investment Banking!

Are you planning to become one? Get ready to receive some gratifying monetary benefits in your career life, but also make yourself active to pull all-nighters, get involved in boundless number-crunching and working hard (like really, really hard). It’s pretty definite that with the amount of time and efforts you put in, you experience the benefits that it brings.

Besides getting rewarded generously, you will also experience excellent personal and professional development. Becoming an investment banker can be a prospering career option; only stay ready to always push yourselves to do better!

Investment Banker — Overview

Investment bankers are experts who guide companies, banks and financial institutes in managing their finances and investments. As an investment banker, you’re mainly responsible for capital allocation, making investments and manage funds for business activities and business growth.

Besides this, investment bankers help in sales, mergers & acquisitions, preparation of data & documents for firms that go public, asset management and improving the overall financial portfolio of the company. Investment bankers are not the decision-makers for the company; they’re only the guides.

What do You Need to Study to Become an Investment Banker?

Commerce graduates can get entry-level jobs in the investment banking industry. They can start their career as an analyst or work as an intern in an investment or financial firm. For getting the entry-level position, you can start by studying courses like:

  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
  • Bachelor of Arts in Finance / Economics
  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Programme

Post undergraduate, one of the most preferred qualifications for investment banking aspirants is pursuing MBA in Finance. Investment banking requires a lot of work related to finance, so aspirants must have good knowledge of the same.

MBA in Finance educates students on finance, accounting, marketing, financial analysis, business know-how etc., all knowledge that you need in an investment banking career. But, when it’s an MBA, the college you consider studying from matters the most!

You’ve to strive for a college that ensures your overall development and imparts the finest education, just like Marwadi University. You must study MBA in Finance from MU, as it’s a NAAC A+ graded university and has been recently awarded as “Centre of Excellence’’ by the Gujarat Government, thus ensuring the education of next level!

Except this, Chartered Accountant is also one favourite qualification to become an investment banker. So many CAs are shifting towards investment banking career currently, considering the lucrative pay and higher career prospects.

Skills That You Require in Investment Banking:

Analytical Skills:

Investment banking involves research and financial modelling, and you need strong analytical skills to work in these areas. Analytical skills help you go a long way in your career as an investment banker.

Good at Math:

Investment bankers spend most of their time on number crunching. So surviving the investment banking industry without being good at maths can be extremely challenging. You need to be a pro in maths and calculation for thriving in the industry.

Basics of Finance:

Whether it’s about cracking an interview or surviving in the field, you will need to have basic financial literacy. As an investment banker, your role demands you to work on almost all financial aspects, so you know how inevitable it is!

Good at Presentation and Excel:

Most of the times, your responsibilities include working on PowerPoint presentations and MS Excel, so you need basic skill and knowledge of working on both.

Benefits of Becoming an Investment Banker:

When you’re a part of this highly competitive field, you’ve got the opportunity to gain exceptional returns in the starting years of your career itself. Not only monetarily but personally as well. Also, after you’ve stayed in the field for a great period, the job potential you’ve is exponential.

Except for monetary benefits, you have the scope to grow exceptionally on a personal level. Every day you learn to defeat a new challenge, gain knowledge and get a unique experience in your career as an investment banker.

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Harsh

An avid writer that writes on anything that comes into his mind.