Can an MBA Help Break a Career in Investment Banking

Investment banking (IB), a blueblood profession. Who wouldn’t want to get into investment banking?

Excellent compensation and still a prestigious field. A career in investment banking is one of the most wanted job roles for every graduate out there. While some may believe that only individuals with a finance background can opt for careers in the IB, well, they’re wrong.

There are certain things you need to definitely stop believing. For instance, only candidates from top tier institutions will be given preference or a top MBA graduate program will pave the right path to get you into top firms like Goldman Sachs.

Breaking into careers in the finance sector is possible even with an MBA. However, ensure your program covers areas related to the finance field. For instance, investment management, accounting, private equity, portfolio management, and financial analysis.

What if you’re from a non-MBA background, will you still be able to launch a career in IB? Yes, of course. For this, you will require work experience in fields related to private equity, M&A, investment banking , and financial engineering.

With people losing jobs amid the pandemic, earning an additional skill or upgrading knowledge is a good call. Though the jobs market seems a little rough, things have started easing out for people seeking jobs in multiple fields.

The IB is one such area that has seen growth post lockdown economy. The challenges caused due to workplace disruption have instigated the utilization of technology at large – which might be a good sign in the foreseeable future.The pandemic has also preempted the usage of online educational services. Every professional looking to stay updated with the latest trend can simply type for online professional certifications and choose the programs that best fits their requirement.

Be it finance, talent management, or IT – you can choose any type of certification program and get certified.

Here’s the catch, with competition rising it is going to be challenging to gain careers in IB only with an MBA. To make yourself more employable, an add -on investment banking certification along with an MBA could go a long way.
Despite multiple opportunities, candidates tend to fail to get into jobs of their choice. If you decide to stick with both an MBA and a certification program, you’ll find multiple job options. Moreover, as recruiters seek to hire candidates with the updated skills, a certification could be an added advantage.

The benefits of earning an IB certification:

• Gain excellence in the field
• Earn lucrative salary compensation
• Most likely to receive promotions
• Get noticed by top recruiters
• Prepares you for a wider range of jobs in the field
• Establish skills with the latest industry standards
• Reflects the candidate’s knowledge in advanced tools and techniques used in financial analysis and decision-making

Investment banking firms are said to employ some of the best talents from business schools having strong interpersonal and analytical skills. Although hiring happens from the best of business schools, you can still make it through by taking up IB certifications from a credible credentialing body.

Below are skills every IB firm seeks from their candidates:

• Analytical skills
• Ability to synthesize
• Creative ability
• Presentation skills
• Initiative
• Sales skills
• Intellectual stamina
• Social skills
• Concentration
• People skills

Some of the most common IB horizontals or business groups wherein you can look for jobs include:

• Corporate finance domain
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Project finance domain
• Industry or product coverage group
• Public finance group
• International sales
• Emerging markets business group
• Equity and bond trading business group
• Structured finance group
• Rating analyst
• Institutional sales
• Retail brokerage

Obtaining a career in an IB firm can be challenging but not impossible. Although hundreds of candidates apply for jobs in IB yet only a few get selected. Therefore, gaining professional certifications could help you stand out from the crowd. Why miss the opportunity when you can still grab the job you’ve been dreaming of for a long time?