Yesterday someone asked me why I wanted to pursue investment banking, and I was at a loss for words. My most basic reasoning is that I like to work with numbers, but besides this I wouldn't know what to say. It's obvious that many might pursue it for the high income, but I'm sure that there is something more behind why one would pursue such a demanding job. What would you say in an interview when someone asks you why you want to be an investment banker? Anyone who has recently joined the field or who has experience, why did you choose this field of work?
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This question has been asked dozens (if not hundreds) of times. That is what the search bar is for.
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/search/site/why%20investment%20banking
People pursue investment banking because it pays six figures and offers an extraordinary amount of exit opps while not requiring an advanced degree or an expertise in a particular subject matter.
When you're interviewing, some things to highlight might be;
To really knock this question out of the park, though, you should regurgitate what bankers at the bank that you are interviewing at have told you while you were networking with them. For example, if Adam the Analyst told you that Citi provides an excellent opportunity to learn, you answer the "why banking?" question with one or two of the reasons above, and then say that you networked with Adam the Analyst and mention what he said.
Great! Was also hoping to get some personal stories as to why people chose this path
I wanted to do Big Four auditing, but chose IB after I read this thread on College Confidential. Someone described analysts as glorified secretaries, and I thought, "Wow, six figures for secretarial work?! Sign me up!"
I thought we're doing it for the children?
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