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Banking

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A Career in Banking

How do I become a banker?
First of all you need to decide what sort if banker you want to be. The two main categories are commercial banking or Investment banking.

Commercial Banks
Another name for the high street banks you see everyday which offer a wide range of positions from bank clerk to new business advisor. Graduate training schemes and promotion structures are a long standing benefit of these banks.

Getting started in commercial banking may involve initially working in a branch to gain the necessary inter-personal, customer care and banking experience to successfully climb the career ladder. Where that ladder leads to these days is very different from where it lead to a few years ago. The advent of internet banking has meant the demise of many local branches and an increase in Area Bank Managers rather than Branch Bank Managers but the new opportunities for Managers and Staff in call centres and e-commerce departments has added another dimension to career opportunities.

Investment Banks
Investment banking is a career for the fearless. Competition for jobs is very high and the job title alone is enough to attract the top graduates to pursue a career in the city.

Getting started in investment banking will normally involve shadowing a more senior colleague while doing research on investment opportunites and helping out with clients. As you become more experienced you will get your own clients and start making decisions about investment opportunities. If you've got what it takes can look forward to a career of huge bonuses but as with anything there are pitfalls. Stress is a major concern throughout the industry and it is certainly not for the faint hearted.

New staff to investment banking as well as requiring excellent academic credentials must display very high levels of confidence and the ablility to take on large amounts of information in very short timescales. Send to a friend