What is a Corporate Investment Banker?
Corporate Investment Bankers provide various financial services to businesses, organisations, and governments; they also advise clients on management buyouts, raising cash, offering strategic guidance, and discovering and/or obtaining new business. Corporate Investment Bankers are also referred to as Investment Bankers or Institutional Bankers.
Investment Banks often work with major firms and governmental organisations rather than with individuals. An Investment Bank can either sell or purchase, depending on the situation. Investment Banks assist clients in selling securities, the general word for any marketable financial asset, such as banknotes, stocks, or bonds.
A Corporate Investment Banker is in charge of counselling a firm on how to meet its financial goals. They provide guidance on developing and implementing long-term and short-term financial plans. They work with other professionals such as attorneys, accountants, chief financial officers, and CEOs. This is a popular career path since a good Corporate Investment Banker may earn a high income, have numerous networking opportunities, and play a prominent part in corporate success stories. Nonetheless, a Corporate Investment Banker’s day-to-day job is often tough, fast-paced, and may be considered stressful by individuals who prefer a more relaxing work-life balance.
If you want to work a conventional 40-hour week with a flexible schedule, corporate investment banking may not be the right option for you.
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a Corporate Investment Banker will vary according to your area of expertise and the company that you work for. Some of the general responsibilities for Corporate Investment Bankers will include:
- Examining market circumstances and advancements
- Evaluating the appropriateness of a transaction by utilising financial models to mimic various outcomes, which necessitates a thorough grasp of a sector
- Communicating with deal project teams to collect pertinent expert knowledge and market data
- Finding new business possibilities
- Planning and negotiating the specific details of a contract, frequently in coordination with other experts.
- Conducting financial modelling, then creating and proposing suitable financial solutions to customers
- Communicating with the chief executives and chief financial officers of major organisations
- Organising and working closely with professional teams, including those of accountants, attorneys, and public relations experts
- Comparing detailed numerical data and explaining results to clients
Salary
Your salary as a Corporate Investment Banker will be mainly influenced by your experience and geographic location. The UK national average income for a Corporate Investment Banker is £48,886, ranging from £30,000 to £81,000. The average salary for a London-based Corporate Investment Banker is £48,817, ranging from £29,000 to £81,000.
Working hours and work location
Because Investment Banking is a worldwide sector, you may be required to operate across many time zones, which means your working hours may not be precisely 9 to 5. Working hours range between 10 and 15 hours every day, including weekends and holidays. While London is the UK’s financial centre, many Investment Banks maintain a global network of locations that provide possibilities to work overseas.
Work settings for Corporate Investment Bankers include:
- Stockbrokers
- Investment banking departments of large commercial banks
- Specialist independent investment banks
- Investment firms
- Venture capital firms.
- International investment banks
What to expect
As a Corporate Investment Banker, you will work in specialised teams focusing on certain deals or market areas. Corporate Investment Bankers collaborate with other specialists such as attorneys and accountants. As a Corporate Investment Banker, you may choose to specialise in one of the key areas of Investment Banking.
- Corporate Finance- Corporate finance teams often have one primary goal: to maximise shareholder value for the client. As a result, customers will seek guidance from corporate finance teams when they are faced with major issues such as whether or not to make an investment or combine with another firm.
- Fixed Income- Fixed income is one of the most secure investments available since it pays out at regular intervals and at generally predictable quantities. Fixed income instruments are commonly referred to as bonds or derivatives.
- Equities- Working in equities entails keeping a careful eye on the markets, tracking which stocks are rising and which are falling, and determining which firms may be under or overpriced.
- Commodities- Commodities are actual goods with standardised prices and quality across the market. Commodities include coffee, grain, oil, and gold.
Commodities are typically traded as futures contracts, in which a contract is written up ahead of time to sell a commodity at a specific price.
- Foreign Exchange- Trading in foreign exchange is all about being able to sell currency at a higher price than when you bought it. The foreign exchange market is the world’s largest financial market!
Mergers and acquisition- is often divided into sell-side and buy-side transactions. A sell-side transaction typically begins when a firm approaches you seeking your assistance in selling their business for the highest potential income. In a buy-side transaction, a corporation will approach your bank because they want to purchase a company.
Debt Capital- Corporate Investment Bankers in this area collaborate with lenders such as banks, financial institutions, government agencies, and private and public corporations in order to discuss and rethink debt obligations.
Qualifications
To become a Corporate Investment Banker, you must first complete a finance or accounting degree and get the necessary job experience. Some other relevant areas of study include International business, economics, mathematics and business management. Many undergraduate finance degrees provide job internships or the opportunity to get experience while studying.
Additionally, certain employers could demand additional professional credentials. Investment Banker-related credentials are offered by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), which has received FSA approval. You are eligible to enrol in the Corporate Finance Qualification program if you have held a senior position within corporate investment for at least five years. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales offers this as a worldwide credential (ICAEW). Additional training programs are offered by The UK’s Chartered Financial Analyst Society, The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF). Your employer can advise you on the courses that would best fit your unique career objectives, and many provide internal programs for continuous professional development (CPD).
Skills
must have skills:
Some of the key skills that you will have to possess or acquire in order to become a successful Corporate Investment Banker include:
- Commercial awareness and financial market understanding
- Leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills
- Strong numerical and analytical abilities
- Adaptability
- Problem-solving skills
- Ambition
- Strong communication skills and the ability to express ideas
- Time management skills
- Self-esteem and the capacity to make difficult decisions, work under pressure, and deal with stressful conditions
Work experience
Many financial industry businesses provide internships and work placements to assist students in learning about the day-to-day reality of financial markets.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE), the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), venture capital firms, and brokerage firms are all places where you may obtain work experience. Any experience you can get will be advantageous since it will demonstrate your dedication to this field. By obtaining the appropriate degree and accumulating job experience, you will receive an in-depth understanding of all the challenges that may affect your clients’ success and learn how to deliver the appropriate answers.
Career prospects
To work in the financial industry in the UK, new graduates/trainees must pass Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) training and tests. When you begin as a trainee, you will be immersed in your new job through intense corporate induction programs.
Some businesses will give extra training upon induction, while others may need additional professional credentials such as an MBA in Leadership. As a trainee Corporate Investment Banker, you can advance to an associate position with a team of analysts/trainees working for you. After a few years, you may be promoted to the post of vice president (VP), where you will manage both analysts and trainees. As a VP, you will see clients often and most likely have your own customers; the next step up would be the director or executive director. However, advancement beyond the VP level is difficult.
Employers
Related Courses
The University of the West of Scotland’s one-year full-time program will give you the executive training you need to launch your career as a Corporate Investment Banker. Since the London Campus is located in the financial centre of London, it provides you with a unique perspective on UK business and gives you a hand up on London’s lucrative job opportunities in Corporate Investment Banking.
This one-year full-time program delivered by the University of the West of Scotland will provide you with the executive training you need to get your Corporate Investment career off the ground. The London Campus is positioned in the heart of London’s financial district, giving you a unique perspective on UK business.
Students can choose from various start dates for this full-time program given by the University of the West of Scotland London over the course of two years and eight months. Industry experts, guest lecturers, and seasoned professionals are available to teach students at UWS London. The best thing about this course is that it is held on the London Campus, in the centre of the United Kingdom.
The MBA with Leadership program at the University of West Scotland’s London campus is a fantastic way to advance your leadership career while also gaining a strong academic foundation. This full-time, one-year program is for graduates with prior business or managerial experience who want to further their careers and take on leadership roles.
