Does Corp/Commercial Banking Have Any Transferable Skills?

I recently found out that I have a fair amount of contacts in corporate banking, loan syndications and areas like this. I know that this isn't technically investment banking, but I was wondering if these areas of banking would offer any transferable skills to corporate finance or even investment banking if I choose to pursue that later on. Otherwise, is corporate banking lucrative/interesting enough to stay in for the long haul too potentially?

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Yes if you are good enough PE funds will want a guy in house with extensive corporate knowledge. Peter Dolle former partner at CDR (nicest and smartest guy i have met in the PE world) taught a 3 day class to about 6 people who were from all different levels. 2 VPs 2 Analysts 1 Assosciate and 1 MD, i digress, he came from corporate banking. Trust me when i say that going to BB IB does not guarantee success and not going into investment banking does not mean you will be stuck making 45K a year for your entire life. If you are smart and talented i firmly believe you will be discovered..

 

Corporate banking are typically relationship managers at most banks. You tend to focus on more treasury related products and transactions, think revolving credit facilities, debt issuances, cash management, fx. Some groups will get into M&A related projects and be part of the project team. Including financings as well. Its more relationship related activities as well as credit oriented projects. It's good exposure but not the strategic M&A focus that most BB M&A analysts get. Then again, you get invovled in client related discussions and the politics of the relationship.

 
workerbeeCorporate banking are typically relationship managers at most banks. You tend to focus on more treasury related products and transactions, think revolving credit facilities, debt issuances, cash management, fx. bSome groups will get into M&A related projects and be part of the project team. Including financings as well[/b]. Its more relationship related activities as well as credit oriented projects. It's good exposure but not the strategic M&A focus that most BB M&A analysts get. Then again, you get invovled in client related discussions and the politics of the relationship.

What groups are more project oriented because I think that's the side of corporate banking I'd be more interested in: how to fund projects, how to determine which business ventures/new markets businesses are trying to get into and whether they can pay it back, etc. so which groups would allow me to explore things like this? Also, are there more quantitative roles within corporate banking? Its just in my personality to be more on the number-crunching side of things than being a "relationship" manager. I definitely don't mind making presentations, pitches, listening to pitches (I'd wager listening to pitches would occur frequently in corporate banking), etc. but I'm more introverted by nature and thus can't see myself in a purely sales role. The most "people oriented role" I could see myself in is using numbers to try and pitch ideas, ventures, etc. but I can't see myself purely selling loans and various bank products to various businesses for a living. Is that what corporate banking is, or am I completely off here?

Also, is there opportunity to become an industry expert in corporate banking like there is in investment banking?

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