A career in investment banking has always been the dream job for thousands of Indians, and since 2017, as the influx of foreign investment in India has increased, more professionals than ever before want to build a stable career in this industry.
The life of an investment banker has been broken down and displayed on the big screens many times over, but for those of us in India, who want a homegrown career in investment banking, what does life look like?
Thus in today’s blog post, we will share with you how the life of an investment banker in India looks like. Let’s get started.
The Work-Life
Since investment banking is one of the most sought after careers in both India and around the world, it comes as no surprise that it naturally calls for a stressful and hectic life, which is adequately rewarded by a financially fulfilling career. When you just start out in the industry after completing your investment banking certification, you need to typically go through an adjustment period which can last anywhere from a couple of months to a year, depending on your accuracy and speed at which you manage multiple tasks, while at the same time, learn the necessary skills which are necessary to finish the job.
During this adjustment period, you will be typically working as an analyst or researcher under an investment banker, and this will give you the incredible opportunity of experiencing at close quarters, what the life of an investment banker looks like. Along with this, you will also get the opportunity to better evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and understand if this is the right career path for you, considering the hectic work schedule and long hours.
Andrew Gutmann, a former investment banker, wrote in his book “How to Be an Investment Banker: Recruiting, Interviewing, and Landing the Job,” that the typical working hours of a new investment banker ranges from 80 to 100 hours a week and every day starts at 10 am and can go until 2 am at night.
Your Role as an Investment Banker
Now that you have a fair sense of what the life of an investment banker looks like let us better understand what role you will be playing as an investment banker. In simple terms, the role of an investment banker can be understood as being the mediator between companies and the money they need. For example, if a large company is planning a merger, investment bankers are hired or if a young company is planning to go public, investment bankers are hired.
Therefore any organizational level transaction, which will include a transfer of high net worth assets, liabilities, and cash, will require the intervention of an investment banker.
While this is a general out mark of the clientele you will be working with, depending on the company you choose to work for, the clientele may vary as each organization has its core expertise and experience.
The capital markets are a very high paced and high stakes industry, where both the risk and the reward is very high. Although these markets are highly regulated and overwatched, one needs the expertise of a professional to navigate this market, and these professionals are known as investment bankers.
Conclusion
Life in the day of an investment banker in India can comprise all kinds of tasks starting from meeting new clients to preparing offers and all the way to creating sales projections and preparing pitchbooks.
It's a fast-paced industry, so put on your seatbelts and get ready.
Also Read: What is Investment Banker
