To Become an Investment Banker

So, you want to be an investment banker, huh? Well, you’re looking in the right place. This is the ONLY book on the market that guides you right through the process from where and when to apply, to the most likely interview questions and even how to impress your boss from day one ensuring you keep that job.

Job applications to investment banks have shot up due to all the media attention that the industry has received but there are fewer jobs available:

• The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds has risen sharply in the current recession, from 15% in 2008 to 19% in 2009 and then to 20% in 2010 (poverty.org.uk).
• Just 54% of Americans aged 18 to 24 currently have jobs. That's the lowest employment rate for this age group since the government began keeping track in 1948. (Pew Research Center)

With the top investment banks now combing the world over to find the very best person for the job, you need to stay a step ahead. To help you succeed, To Become an Investment Banker gives you all the information you need to have at your fingertips as well as extra advice to ensure you stand out from the crowd.

Much of the information is presented in a bullet point format ensuring clarity and absolute ease of access. In addition, the laid-back, chatty tone of this semi-autobiographical book makes it an enjoyable read as well as an essential guide.

Heather Katsonga-Woodward started her investment banking journey in 2004 with an internship at Goldman Sachs. Since then, she has picked up a mass of useful tips that helped her survive, even during the whirlwinds of the 2007-2009 credit crunch. With input from four other investment bankers, To Become an Investment Banker encompasses 25 years of collective banking expertise.

This book is the perfect starting point if your sights are set on working in any major financial center.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: FIGURING OUT WHAT’S WHAT

Commercial / Retail Banking

What Is Investment Banking & What Do Investment Bankers Do?

A Typical Day in the Life of An Investment Banking Analyst

Asset Management

CHAPTER 2: GETTING INTO AN INVESTMENT BANK

Networking

Deciding Where, When and How to Apply

What Degree Will Get You In?

The Application Process

Alternatives to the Standard Hiring Process

Application Enhancers

CHAPTER 3: INTERVIEW BASICS

Interview Behavior

Interview Dress Code

Rules on Answering Interview Questions

CHAPTER 4: COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 5: BASIC ECONOMICS

Fiscal Policy

Monetary Policy

CHAPTER 6: BASIC TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

Credit Risk

Brainteasers

CHAPTER 7: TECHNICAL QUESTIONS FOR CORPORATE FINANCE AND EQUITY CAPITALS MARKETS (ECM)

Financial Reporting

Valuation

Cash Equities

Equity Derivatives

CHAPTER 8: TECHNICAL QUESTIONS FOR DEBT CAPITAL MARKETS (DCM) OR FIXED INCOME CURRENCY AND COMMODITIES (FICC)

Bonds and Loans

Foreign Exchange (FX)

Rates

Credit

Commodities

CHAPTER 9: ON THE JOB

Tips That Will Help You to Hit The Ground Running

Personal Habits to Watch Out For

Email Etiquette

Dealing with Tiredness

CHAPTER 10: GIRL BANKERR’S INSIGHTS

On Handling Money

On Being from an Ethnic Minority

On Being a Girl

On Lawsuits

On Resigning

Resources (including Recommended Books)

Headhunters

Appendix 1: Currency Codes

Appendix 2: Banking Lingo and Acronyms

Index