Do you have to be smart to be an investment banker?
The field of investment banking has many people who want to be highly successful, and your peers are likely to work just as hard as you. The
Investment banking is one of Wall Street's most coveted roles. It is also one of the hardest. It is no surprise that the average day in an investment banker's life is long and stressful. Those who manage to survive the adjustment period often go on to have long and financially rewarding careers.
Becoming an investment banker requires several years of higher education in addition to licensure. It also requires strong mathematical and analytical capabilities, which may be challenging for some people. In addition to a bachelor's degree, investment bankers may need a master's in finance or an M.B.A.
It's easy to be attracted to a career like banking because of how lucrative it is (even at the junior level), but sooner or later you'll have to confront the grim reality: investment banking requires a lot of work. There's no way around it – getting any deal done takes a crazy amount of firepower and energy.
The typical investment banker has a graduate degree in business from an Ivy League school or other top-tier university and superior educational credentials [i.e., excellent grades (minimum 3.50 GPA), active participation in business and investment clubs, and participation in at least one internship or summer program at ...
| Position Title | Typical Age Range | Total Compensation (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst | 22-27 | $150-$200K |
| Associate | 25-35 | $250-$450K |
| Vice President (VP) | 28-40 | $500-$700K |
| Director / Senior Vice President (SVP) | 32-45 | $600-$800K |
Investment banking is a quantitative field, and having a strong foundation in mathematics is essential. If you're considering a career in investment banking, it's important to have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts such as calculus, probability, and statistics.
Yes, GPA matters! Bulge bracket banks and almost all other investment banks will look at your GPA when applying for a job and you should include it in your resume. Typically banks screen resumes based on GPA and will often remove anyone below 3.5.
The lucrative and fast-paced career of an investment banker is a highly competitive one. For instance, in a recent year, 236,000 applicants competed for roughly 3,500 internships at Goldman Sachs. This is common across the industry where acceptance rates for programs are typically less than 2%.
Many Analysts might be working more like 80-90 hours per week rather than 70-80. That may not sound significant, but it's the difference between 12.5 hours per day for 6 days with one day off and 12.1 hours per day with no days off.
What do investment bankers do all day?
Investment bankers spend hours analyzing market reports and databases to get relevant information to aid in decision-making. The research may range from finding and comparing stock performances for several companies to building company profiles for reports.
Most former bankers have reported that it is quite uncommon for an analyst to hit the 100-hour mark. Apparently, this only happens occasionally (once a month) when an analyst is working on multiple live deals or poorly aligned international projects.
Can you become a millionaire as an investment banker? It is possible to become a millionaire as an investment banker, but it is not easy.
Q: What are your GPA requirements? A: We value diverse degree backgrounds and experiences and while a GPA 3.2 (or equivalent) in your undergraduate degree is preferred it is not required. Our training programs are designed to allow everyone, regardless of major studied to succeed.
Goldman Sachs does not give a specific minimum GPA requirement, though some sources suggest a GPA of at least 3.6 is preferred. Additionally, you may need to show relevant coursework and hard skills for certain programs.
What Are the Big 4 Investment Banks? The big four are JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. Some other global giants are treading right on their heels, including Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Credit Suisse, and UBS.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for workers in computer and information technology occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, while the median annual salary for workers in financial occupations was $73,560.
As long as investment banks remain gatekeepers to the market for companies (and capital markets), they will be able to extract high fees, and use those high fees to pay high salaries and bonuses.
Believe it or not, mastery of advanced math skills is not necessary to have a career in finance. With today's technology, all math-related tasks can be done by computers and calculators. That said, there are some basic math skills that would certainly make you a better candidate in the finance industry.
For those seeking a career in investment banking, a bachelor's degree in finance is a prerequisite. Other potential acceptable majors include bachelors in economics or bachelors in business supplemented with a minor in finance.
What do most investment bankers study?
A college degree in finance or economics is typically the starting point for entry-level jobs at an investment bank. Accounting and business are also common educational backgrounds.
It's common for an investment banker's bonus to surpass their base pay, and in profitable times, they may earn over half a million dollars a year.
It's true – top-tier investment banks recruit heavily from ivy league schools and other target schools. Big names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan visit campuses to drum up interest in their internship programs and full-time entry-level positions.
Earning low grades makes it very difficult to win traditional investment banking roles. You can still do it if you can find a way to explain your results and counter objections, but it's not easy.
Age plays a huge factor in the decision-making process. Wall Street is an up-and-out industry. Unless the goal is senior management, most people in finance are out of there by age 50. That's not at just the biggest investment banks, either.
