Is Banking Right For Me?
Hey,
I am very curious, analytical and I have good problem solving skills. But I am a bit more a salesman and in some cases impatient. I get bored if I had to do the same thing over and over again and I am not creative. I have great communication skills and interpersonal skills and i think i have the ability to clearly and concisely articulate complex ideas. I love to talk to people and i like to work both independently and within a team. My former coworkers, teachers and my family and friends have confirmed my strengths and weaknesses.
Is a career in Banking or at a HF right for me? Which division is right for me? What job in Finance or outside of Finance would suit me?
Sounds more like consulting to me.
I hate consultants
Strong response from someone who's still finding their way in the world. Why do you hate consultants?
Naturally this is somewhat exaggerated, but I believe that many Consultants are arrogant know-it-alls.
perfect, you'll fit right in.
you are definitely a consultant my man
I spoke to the rest of the MCs and we unanimously agreed we don't want him
where do u go to school
Germany. Target for London and Frankfurt
Sounds to me like you should pursue sales on a bank trading floor. These are the people that act as the liaison between the bank's traders and the traders at hedge funds, etc. (who in turn represent the portfolio managers). The role centres around establishing strong relationships and being able to quickly identify what it is their clients (the hedge fund traders) want. They then communicate this finding to the banks own traders, who then provide a bid / offer, which the sales person then communicates back to the (hedge fund) trader. It's a dynamic role that is different day-on-day and also has the breadth (if you're so inclined) for a lot of idea generation. Indeed, often the very best sales people at banks (also called "sales-traders") are ideas people themselves - they know the sort of position their client has on, have a clear idea of the market and where they think it's heading, and are able to articulate what they believe is a worthwhile trade / investment to take on.
All banks with trading floors have sales people. Yes, the role is coming under threat (especially in cash equities) from algorithms and the ever nebulous rise of "platforms," however I personally think it's a career that still has legs. This is especially the case in FICC (fixed income, currencies, and commodities) and exotic (e.g. securitised products, non-listed, non-delta one equity derivatives) markets.
As an aside, you mention above that you study in Germany - "target for London and Frankfurt." I don't know whether you mean you're targeting a career in London or Frankfurt, or that you consider your university a target uni for firms in London and Frankfurt... What I will say, however, is that I can't think of a so-called "target uni" in Germany that British firms pursue. It may well be a target inside Germany, however the European universities that banks based in London tend to consider "target" are your usual suspects in the UK (Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial), the French brigade (HEC and the like), Bocconi in Italy, and perhaps the Stockholm School of Economics.
Sales & trading is dying with more limited exit opps than banking. Think again
Cute
Would definitely echo YoungDumb's S&T idea.
I rotated this summer through a structured prods sales desk and their work is very analytical in nature and you're always juggling different things at once. So you get to both speak with clients and build/maintain those relationships as well as expose yourself to complex products that require exactly what you are looking for: an analytical person that's good with people and can express complex structures/ideas in simple terms.
Don't know you at all but definitely seems like something that you would like.
"I get bored if I had to do the same thing over and over again"
I imagine that a sell-side M&A process wouldn't be best for you.
Would a career in IB (M&A) suit me, if i could handle boredom at work?
It isn't black and white. While an M&A process has a predictable structure, there are many nuances and opportunities for variability. Based on my limited experience, these are sufficient in preventing staleness.
I can't speak to you and your preferences. My recommendation to you is to secure a summer internship and reflect on your experiences throughout the summer.
1/10 Troll
I'm really not trolling anyone here, I promise.
Fucking troll indeed.
bump
Your skillset would be great in banking. Once you are a VP and up, your role starts to become more of a salesman role and you start talking to clients more often.
Thanks for the advice, everyone
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