Growing up I always had a fascination for numbers. When my father discussed business with his friends in the living room, I would listen carefully and try to understand their conversations. I did not excel in mathematics in school, but I would do my best to understand the formulas.
My family thought I would opt for a career in engineering. But I did not get the best rank and would have had to enrol in an unknown engineering institute. Instead, I took commerce and got my first job working at a bank. Here, my role was to help customers with their bank accounts.
Gradually, I got to know that there was something better I could do for my career. I found out that large-scale businesses and high net-worth individuals require consultancy services to enable their capital and businesses to grow. I then made up my mind to learn investment banking, a specialised segment of banking.
Discovering investment banking
As I grew to understand investment banking in detail, I became completely fascinated by the sheer size of the businesses I could work with. These companies were worth billions of dollars, and I had the chance to play a pivotal role in helping them navigate various scenarios such as mergers and acquisitions, investments, and corporate restructuring. Another perk was that investment bankers earned lucrative compensation and could build impressive networks. I decided that this would be my next career pivot.
Building specialist skills
I began applying for investment banking entry-level job roles. However, I was unsuccessful in landing a job. Recruiters told me I did not have the required specialist skills, even though I had a passion for the job. Before I could be an investment banker I needed to invest in myself, they told me. I realised that I needed to complete a specialised degree or program to help me achieve my goal of being an investment banker.
I would have to build up an extensive knowledge of financial markets, economic trends, regulations related to securities, and mergers and acquisitions. I needed to learn how to read complex financial documents. I also had to build analytical skills, presentation skills and specialist financial abilities.
Choosing an investment banking course with placement
I began researching various investment banking courses. I was not keen to take up a traditional master of business administration (MBA) degree because it required me to take one or two years off from work and it was also extremely expensive. However, I discovered a specialised investment banking course with placement support and decided to pursue it. There are several reasons why I decided to enrol in a certified investment banking program:
The program covers the full spectrum of subjects relevant to investment banking.
It offers flexibility for professionals to learn based on their schedules. For example, you can pursue the entire program online via instructor-led live sessions. Alternatively, you can pursue it offline at a centre in your city.
The faculty is highly experienced and come with extensive industry experience.
The program duration is just two months if you go for full-time training during the week. Alternatively, it extends up to three months if you opt for weekend classes.
The placement guarantee ensures you have opportunities to secure jobs in some of the top investment banks in the world.
My learning approach
I decided to pursue the investment banking program online and go for weekend classes. This approach allowed me to continue my day job and keep earning as I learned. I also made use of the 0% no-cost EMI payment option, which allowed me to pay in instalments with no additional interest. However, these are not the only benefits of investment banking courses with job-interview services.
Landing a dream job Interview Opportunities
When pursuing any professional course, one of the outcomes you seek is to get good job interview opportunities. The live training I received at the investment banking course was especially beneficial for me. It taught me that even if you are an expert in various theoretical concepts, applying them in real life is a whole other challenge.
I attended several job interviews as part of the placement process. During the interviews, I was able to engage in concrete discussions with the interviewer's thanks to my extensive training. The confidence I gained through the live training in the course also helped me communicate my ideas to the recruiters more articulately.
Conclusion
With innovations in technology, the increase in the number of new businesses, and with older businesses continuing to reinvent themselves, the sky is the limit for an ambitious investment banker. It has been a long-term dream of mine to join this dynamic world and I am excited to keep learning new things every day. Today, I am proud to have the term investment banker on my resume.
To know about Imarticus’ investment banking courses with job interviews, chat with our experts online or visit one of our training centres in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurgaon or Ahmedabad.
