All information from girlbanker.com has now been transferred here, to katsonga.com/girlbanker. 

​"Girl Banker®" was my persona when I founded girlbanker.com back in 2012.

Originally from Malawi, in 2002 I received a full scholarship to read Economics at the University of Cambridge. It was at Cambridge that I discovered the weird and wonderful world of investment banking. 

After an internship at Goldman Sachs in the summer of 2004 I was offered a full-time position to begin in 2005 when I graduated. Several teams wanted to have me so after the internship period I was given the chance to go in and have extra conversations with the two teams I was vacillating between.

I chose to join the Structured Finance Team which sat within the Investment Banking Division (IBD). Their main function was securitization and corporate debt advisory to infrastructure assets.

After two years in IBD, I decided to explore the world of derivatives.

When I heard there was an opening on the Corporate Risk Advisory Team at HSBC, I applied through a headhunter and was offered the job about two weeks later.

During my time in banking I was a member of Women in Banking & Finance (Wibf) and Worldwide Women in Banking & Finance (W3BF). Both are great organisations for networking with other women in banking.

If you are not ready to invest in coaching, that's fine. Here are free and almost-free resources to help you get that banking job.

You can get my book as a paperback, on kindle or as an audible audiobook.

​What's in the book:

• The most frequently asked interview questions
• Tips on how to stand out in the best way possible
• How to build a network of contacts even if you currently have zero
• Information on what will kill your chances at a job interview before you even utter a word
• Insider tips that will make sure you are impressing the bosses from day one, seriously
• A summary of the best resources
• This book will cut your research load in half: the laidback, relatable tone of this semi-autobiographical book makes it a most enjoyable read and with much of the information presented in a bullet point format you should be able to get through it rather quickly.

"I recently purchased the Girl Banker Ferrari coaching package and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about landing an Investment Banking Internship. I received two in depth mock interviews in addition to invaluable advice on my CV and applications. The mock interviews were fantastic as I was given advice on how to improve my approach and structure my answers better; this greatly improved my confidence in my recent interviews. Girl Banker helped me to put myself ahead of the competition and I have already received an offer for a Summer 2013 Bulge Bracket Internship! The CV and application advice is worth the price of the package alone, but with the two mock interviews and unlimited access via-e-mail to Girl Banker the Ferrari package is amazing.

Regards,

Sarah"

​Note: after her initial offer of a position at a Bulge Bracket bank Sarah received a couple more offers from more high status banks. Before getting coaching she'd been rejected by a much lesser bank. I saw her potential right away but even I was astounded by the number of offers that she received in the end given the economic climate. Heather

"I approached Heather to assist me with an interview for an investment research role as I was inexperienced with answering the type of technical questions that arise in such interviews. She helped me answer the common technical questions that are frequently asked and how best to articulate the responses to these. Heather gave me excellent feedback as I answered these questions and highlighted a number of things that I needed to improve upon or needed to be conscious of with each of my answers. Some of these questions I was prepared to answer however conducting this in an interview type setting helped to highlight exactly where I needed to improve. She was patient with me and provided this feedback with a very nice manner. 

Having practiced my answers with Heather and improving upon them with her assistance I was extremely confident in entering into all of my interviews. As a result of this I was able to expertly deal with all of the questions we practiced and I was far more assertive in dealing with any other type of additional job-specific questions that came out of left field. 
Heather was professional, patient, accommodating with her time and very pleasant to work with. I felt ultimately that my interviews went extremely well and the training with Heather was a large contributor in helping me to answer all types of interview questions effectively and with great confidence. 

Barry, San Diego"

As millennials continue the transition from college and into the workforce, financial responsibility becomes a determining factor in their long-term prosperity and fulfillment. The millennial generation is unique, and so are the financial challenges they face. The good news is there are common-sense solutions to virtually every financial challenge. So, let’s dig in and find ways to beat everyone’s expectations!

1. The Burden of Crushing Student Loan Debt

More than sixty-percent of college students take advantage of the Federally subsidized student loan program. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and student loans certainly empower high school students from every background to continue their education. But, millennials are graduating with extremely high levels of student loan debt. A financial future is definitely a terrible thing to waste.
 
Making student loan payments, while struggling to clear the first hurdles to a fulfilling, financially rewarding career is a challenge; especially when the student loan payments can be as much or more than the cost of rent each month.
Solutions to Navigating Student Loan DebtIn most cases, student loan debt cannot be wiped away by bankruptcy. Loan consolidation can be tricky, and you definitely want to avoid converting an unsecured debt into a secured debt. So, student loan debt can be solved three ways:

• Choose a job that provides federal student loan forgiveness as a benefit. Many government jobs in underserved communities offer this benefit.
• Slash personal expenses and aggressively pay back the student loan in full.
• Take advantage of hardship deferrals and repayment plans tied to income. Note that while in deferment, the student loan balance will grow due to compound interest.

2. The Tax Implications of the Freelance and Sharing Economy

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, a boom in alternative income streams became popular. As employers looked to slash their overhead and minimize full-time staff, they increasingly turned to freelancers and other project-based outsourcing solutions. Recent graduates and those laid off embraced opportunities to earn a living from home, while searching for full-time work.
 
Now that the economy is beginning to reach pre-recession levels, many millennials are hesitant to give up their side-hustle. Even as they secure full-time employment, some are opting to keep, or go all-in on the freelance lifestyle. This additional source of income created tax obligations that, if improperly reported and paid, could lead to fines and tax debt.

Solutions to Keep the IRS at Bay​

​Trust me, there are few organizations that outperform the IRS in terms of resources and the ability to focus on a single goal: identifying and collecting back taxes. Millennials that earn additional income streams, beyond a traditional employee income, need to:

• Carefully track and record income from every income stream.
• If you expect to pay more than $1,000 in taxes for the current tax year and earn an income from freelancing, you may be required to pay quarterly estimated taxes.
• If you receive a notice stating that you have an IRS tax debt, immediately consult a tax debt expert to understand your financial obligations and develop a strategy to reduce and/or resolve the tax debt before the IRS begins aggressive collection procedures.

Consult an IRS Tax Debt Professional to Minimize Fines, Total Liability and Avoid Collection ProceduresIf you end up in the IRS’ crosshairs, it’s important to act quickly. Consulting a qualified tax debt specialist is the best way to avoid unnecessary fees, or unfair assessments. I personally lived through this frustration when I filed my first tax return with self-employment income. The following year, the IRS wanted to know why I wasn’t paying quarterly estimated taxes.
 
Because I ignored their letters, incorrectly assuming that I could cover my bases on my standard tax return, I was assessed late payment penalties and was threatened with an audit. I had no intention of misleading the government, or mishandling my financial obligations, but ignorance is not a defence.
 
The majority of IRS tax debt specialists will tell you that the most important factor in resolving an issue with the IRS on favorable terms is the speed with which you address the issues at hand. Act quickly to avoid penalties. I promise, ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

3. Credit Card Debt

It seems like as soon as the freshman start to move into their dorm, the credit card companies start handing out “free” swag on campus, along with credit card application forms. Thanks to the CARD Act of 2009, this trend has slowed, but it certainly hasn’t come to a money-saving halt. Students with little to no source of income certainly find the chance to charge their weekend beer runs to a piece of plastic exciting.
 
Unfortunately, their monthly payments usually only cover the minimum balance, or neglect to be remitted on time. So, after four years of living the college life, their credit card debt balance looks very scary!

​Barclays Capital is the investment banking arm of Barclays plc. Headquartered in London, they are a large full-service investment bank with offices in over 29 countries. In 2008, when Lehman collapsed they acquired many of Lehman's US assets thus increasing their presence in North America by a significant margin. 

​BNP Paribas is headquartered in Paris with a second global headquarters in London. You might not have heard of them but in 2010 they were actually ranked as the largest bank by assets according to Bloomberg and Forbes (with $3 trillion in assets).

In 2011, BNP remained the world's biggest bank by total assets as seen in this article by Global Finance. After acquiring a 75% stake in Fortis Bank in 2009, BNP became the largest bank in the eurozone by deposits held.

​Citigroup is one of the world's largest banks with some presence in over 140 countries. The current entity is a product of one of the world's largest mergers that combined Citicorp and Travelers group in 1998. They suffered massively during the 2007-2009 credit crunch but ultimately survived the whirl winds.

For each region where they operate, the Citi website has a descriptive page explaining the programs available in that region. 

​Headquartered in Paris, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) has some presence in 58 countries.

​Headquartered in Zurich (Switzerland), Credit Suisse has a presence in 50 countries.

I do try to remain neutral in these profile but I am positively impressed by the Credit Suisse careers section. It's very well structured, easy to navigate and filled with information.

Select the desired country before exploring the career opportunities.

​Headquartered in Frankfurt (Germany), Deutsche Bank has a presence in over 70 countries.

​According to Euromoney, Deutsche was the top FX dealer in 2009 for the fifth year in a row with a 21% market share. More recent surveys are available but require a subscription to access.

​Headquartered in New York City and initially founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs has a presence in every major financial center in the world. 

Use the links below to get to the recruitment section that you need. 

Having worked as an IBD Analyst at Goldman Sachs for two years myself, I can vouch for them as a great employer. Get your application in right away. In addition to the link below make sure you peruse the site thoroughly because they periodically also offer off-cycle and other 'non-standard' programs.

​Headquartered in London, HSBC has a presence in over 85 countries. HSBC's routes lie in Hong Kong and Shanghai but after its acquisition of UK's Midland Bank in 1991, HSBC has positioned itself as a British bank with a global presence. 

Its Asian roots uniquely positioned HSBC to participate in interesting emerging market transactions during the worst of the 2007-2009 credit crunch immediately diversifying their business away from faltering developed economies.  

With just under five years of experience in HSBC's Derivatives Structuring business I can definitely say that you will enjoy a varied and broad career at HSBC. 

Headquartered in Turin (Italy), Intesa Sanpaolo is the product of a merger between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI in 2007.

They currently have a corporate and investment banking division in c.39 countries.

​Investment banking revenue forms only about 20% of the group's revenues at the moment. Intesa Sanpaolo is very much a European bank with over 90% of revenues coming from Europe and over three-quarters of that is still from Italian business.

​Headquartered in New York City, JP Morgan is the largest bank in the US by assets and market cap according to Forbes' 2011 list of the 2,000 largest publicly listed companies. HSBC was second on this list. 

The JP Morgan's careers site is filled with information so in addition to using the below link make sure you look around the site for more tips.

​Headquartered in Tokyo, Mizuho is the third largest bank in Japan after Mitsubishi UFG and Sumitomo Mitsui FG. Mizuho is the product of a 2001 merger of three other Japanese banks.

The English version of their careers website is still very basic. If you read Japanese, however, you're in luck, that section seems to be packed with information.

​Headquartered in New York City and initially founded in 1935, Morgan Stanley has a presence in 42 countries. 

​Headquartered in Toronto (Canada) RBC Capital is huge but is regionally concentrated; they operate across 15 countries in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe (including the UK).

​By market cap, RBC is the 10th largest major bank globally on the 2011 Forbes 2000 list. 

​Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland RBS is a commercial bank with a significant investment banking division.

In addition to a summer internship program, take note that RBS also offers winter and spring (Easter) programs in London and Europe.

​Headquartered in Paris, SocGen is one of Europe's oldest banks with origins dating back to 1864.  

​It is the second largest French bank after BNP Paribas. SocGen Corporate & Investment Banking is the investment banking arm of SocGen.

The SocGen careers site has generic role description pages. You will need to specify your region and role of interest in the application form. Get your magnifying glass out, however, the font size on the website is tiny!

​Headquartered in Zurich & Basel (Switzerland), UBS was founded in 1854 and has offices in over 50 countries.

​UBS is mostly recognised as an asset management powerhouse but also has a significant investment banking division.

​Headquartered in Rome & Milan (Italy), Unicredit can trace its roots all the way back to 1473. The current entity is a product of many historical mergers.

Unicredit has a significant capital markets division but a relatively smaller corporate finance unit. Investment banking activities are located in London, Milan, Munich, Vienna, Budapest and Warsaw

​Headquartered in San Francisco (USA) and founded in 1852, Wells Fargo is the largest US bank by market cap.

The Wells Fargo careers site for the US is a lot more developed than their international site.

​Headquartered in Düsseldorf (Germany), West LB has some capital markets activity as well as a corporate finance division.

Currently the WestLB careers site is focused on Germany and highly generic so please excuse the paucity of links below.

​Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) is one of the "Big Four" banks in Australia along with Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Westpac. 

​Founded in 1835, ANZ has its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. Recruitment is generally focused on Australia and New Zealand.

​I love the rockstar theme of their recruitment pages though, according to ANZ, "When it comes to your career, who you choose for your first gig is everything." Love it.

​Banco Popolare was established in 2007 from the merger of two Italian banks: Banco Popolare di Verona e Novara and Banca Popolare Italiana.

You might find capital markets roles here. That said, unfortunately, the recruitment process is not explained in any detail, the recruitment site goes almost immediately to an application form.

Founded in 1912 and headquartered in Beijing, Bank of China is one of the "Big Four" banks in China.

It is also the oldest bank in China. BOC opened their first overseas branch in London in 1929 and their first New York branch in 1981. 

​They first went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in October 2002. 

​Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Munchen (Germany), Bayern LB is one of the ten largest banks in Germany.

To apply to Bayern LB you need to be a fluent German speaker, according to their website. I guess that makes sense because they are trying to serve German speaking customers.

​There doesn't appear to be a corporate finance function at Bayern but you could get good capital markets exposure.

​Formed by a merger between Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria in 1999, BBVA is headquartered in Bilbao (Spain).

​The bank can trace its roots all the way back to 1857. After a major expansion overseas BBVA now operates in over 30 countries.

​Formed from the acquisition of Nesbitt Thomas in 1987, BMO Capital Markets is headquartered in Toronto (Ontario, Canada).

BMO is very much an investment bank with both a fully fletched corporate finance department and a full capital markets offering.

Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Beijing, China Construction Bank is one of the "Big Four" banks in China.

CCB only recently started expanding abroad: they opened a London office in 2-Jun-09 and a New York office a few days later on 6-Jun-09. Investment banking functions were added a couple of years later.

​Bank of America bought a 9% stake in CCB in 2005 but in order to raise cash in 2011 they decided to sell a large portion of their shares.

​Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, CIBC was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). CIBC is a commercial bank and its investment banking arm is CIBC World Markets.

​CIBC World Markets has grown through a series of acquisitions that have included US-based Oppenheimer & Co. and the Canadian brokerage Woody, Gundy & Co.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Beijing, CICC is more investment banking focused than the Big Four (AgBank, BOC, CCB and ICBC).

​CICC was started as a JV between various parties including Morgan Stanley. They sold their stake to a group of private equity investors including GIC, KKR and TPG capital in 2010/11.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Shenzhen in the Guangdong district of China, Citic Securities like (CICC) is more investment banking focused than the Big Four (AgBank, BOC, CCB and ICBC). Citic Securities listed on the Shanghai stock exchange in 2003.

​Founded in 1870, Commerzbank is the second largest bank in Germany after Deutsche. Their headquarters is in Frankfurt.

In 2009 they acquired Dresdner Bank which was another large German bank. They have a significant capital markets division, however, corporate finance activities were wound up.

​Commonwealth Bank is one of the "Big Four" banks in Australia along with ANZ, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Westpac. 

Originally established as a state-owned bank in 1911, Commonwealth Bank was publicly listed in 1991. They are headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

​Headquartered in Tokyo and founded in 1902, Daiwa is Japan's second largest brokerage house after Nomura. 

​Headquartered in Frankfurt and founded in the mid-1800s, DZ Bank is one of the five largest banks in Germany.

DZ Bank is a commercial bank with some investment banking activities. They serve a German-speaking client base so you're probably going to need to speak fluent German to work at DZ.

​Headquartered in Frankfurt and Erfurt (Germany), Helaba was formed from a merger between three separate German banks in 1953. Helaba's origins date back to 1940.

Helaba is a commercial bank with some investment banking activities. They serve a German-speaking client base so you're probably going to need to speak fluent German to work at Helaba.

Currently the careers website combines commercial and investment banking roles. 

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Beijing, ICBC is one of the "Big Four" banks in China. It is the 'youngest' of the Big Four but is the largest bank in the world by market cap; at the time the Forbes 2000 list was constructed its market cap was $239.5bn. HSBC came next with $186.5bn, closely followed by JP Morgan Chase with $182.2bn.

They don't have a dedicated investment banking careers site, it's combined with commercial banking.

​Headquartered in Amsterdam (Netherlands), ING was formed from a merger in 1991 but the bank can trace its roots all the way back to 1743.

ING has a large international presence with offices in over 40 countries.

​Headquartered in Stuttgart (Germany), Helaba was formed from a merger between three separate German banks in 1999 and a fourth bank BW-Bank in 2005. The bank can trace its roots all the way back to 1818.

LBBW is a commercial bank with some investment banking activities. They serve a German-speaking client base so you're going to need to speak fluent German to work at LBBW.

​Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International (MUSI) is the investment banking unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).

MUSI was founded in 2005 through a merger and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. They operate a fully-fletched Debt and Equity Capital Markets Business. They do not currently have a corporate finance unit.

​NAB is one of the "Big Four" banks in Australia along with ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac. NAB was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

​They have operations across 10 countries primarily is Australasia but are also located in London. They have some retail banking in the US.

NAB have a thriving debt capital markets division.

​Founded in 2006, Natixis is headquartered in France. They operate a fully-fletched Debt and Equity Capital Markets Business. They do not currently have a corporate finance unit.

The application form suggests that you can look for opportunities in Paris, New York, Texas, Mexico, Peru and Sao Paulo.

​With foundations dating back to 1925, Nomura is headquartered in Japan. They are the leading securities firm in Japan.

They operate both a debt and equity capital markets business as well as a corporate finance unit.

​Founded in 1970, NORD/LB is headquartered in Hanover, Germany.

NORD/LB perform a variety of investment banking functions and are particularly prominent in bond origination.

They operate both a debt and equity capital markets business as well as a corporate finance unit.

​Founded in 1857, Santander is headquartered in Santander, Spain.

Santander is in the list of the top ten "Major Banks" by market cap on the Forbes 2000 list.

​Founded in 1832, Scotiabank is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). It is one of the top 3 banks in Canada by market cap.

​Founded in 1969, Standard Chartered is headquartered in London, UK.

​Standard Chartered is largely a commercial bank with an expanding investment banking unit. It has a presence in about 70 countries.

​Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) was founded in 2002 by the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

​With foundations dating back to in 1855, TD Securities is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

They provide both corporate finance and capital markets activities.

​Westpac is one of the "Big Four" banks in Australia along with ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank (NAB). Westpac was established in 1982 but can trace its roots all the way back to 1817. They are headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Westpac's equity and debt capital markets division gets a fair amount of flow.

That's all 50!

​Save this page to your web browser favourites to ease the job-hunting burden. Need help deciding where to apply? See how can help you. 

How were the banks chosen? 

These are the Top 50 deal makers as described in Table 2.3 of To Become an Investment Banker. To make navigation easier, they list is divided into 'Top 20' and 'Next 30' then each list is ordered alphabetically. 'Analyst' programs are designed for recent graduates with no full-time work experience and 'Associate' or 'Ph.D.' programs are designed for those with two years or more of full-time work experience.

​Most people embark on their journey to wealth with nothing significant in their bank account. I’m one of them.
 
This is why “Earn More” is one of my key principles towards building wealth.
 
Back when I was 21 m earn more strategy was to get the best paid job possible and two years later when I had more skill and value I sought to earn more by finding an even better paid job.
 
Anyhow, if your only strategy for getting better paid jobs is looking for them yourself then you’re doing the wrong thing.
 
In my last job my best bonus was 6-figures, yes, forget a 6-figure salary, my bonus was 6-figures and I wouldn’t have found that job if it wasn’t for a headhunter.
 
All you have to do is call a headhunter up and say, “Hi, I’m {name} and I work at {institution}, I’m kinda a big deal around here but I’m definitely worth more than these guys are paying me – can you hook me up?”
 
Just kidding, it’s not quite that simple.
 
Firstly, you need to be fully aware of the headhunter’s mindset and what motivates them.
 
You can have 5 headhunters running around looking for jobs for you if you follow my strategy.
 
Headhunters are free for you to use, they get paid by whichever company ultimately hires you.
 
A headhunter’s main goal is to place people in jobs as quickly as possible: they only get paid if they find the recruiting company a suitable person for the required role.
 
If a headhunter has 100 job seekers on their books, for example, they’ll look after the people that they think will be most attractive to an employer first and of those, they’ll focus on those that are going to be paid mad dollar because they get paid more.
 
So, when you call, you need to make yourself look SUPER attractive – oh, and by the way, when you really are a BIG deal – headhunters will be calling you.

First, state your name and where you work.
 
Then say a bit about the experience you’ve had. For example, “I’ve worked on two of my {institutions} top 10 deals and I’m looking for a bigger challenge. I’m already the go-to person here and I think moving firms will help me grow.”
 
If the transactions you’ve worked on have been well covered by major news outlets like The FT or The Wall Street Journal, drop that piece of intel into the conversation too.
 
If you have any impressive stats, e.g. what your sales are like or how big the transactions you’ve been involved with are, mention that too.
 
If your boss is well known in the industry, drop that in too. For example, “I work for John Ingermason-Scwartz who one Deal Maker of The Year in the Annual Banker awards. I’ve grown so much under his mentorship. There really isn’t a better person to learn from in the industry and I know several institutions are looking to grow their deal teams so I’m interested in the opportunities you have on your books.
 
Flattering the headhunter doesn’t hurt either, e.g. “I know {Big Cheese Recruiters} are the biggest and the best in this game so I called you first.”
 
Keep two provisos in mind:

​1. If you are a newbie headhunters are not interested in you.
 
Many industries, notably investment banks, only hire experienced people in this way;
 
For entry level positions most companies expect you to apply directly through their website usually through a formal graduate, internship or apprenticeship scheme that run.
 
2. At the moment, it's an employer's market.
 
There are many highly skilled individuals currently unemployed so in some cases employers will find it more cost efficient not to fill positions through third party recruiters. That said, I recommend using both avenues – direct approaches via the company website or connections you have inside the business and indirect approaches via headhunting firms.
 
EXAMPLE
 
Usually, an employer will list a job on their website then after a week or so hire a recruitment agent to help them fill that role.
 
This is what life is like in an employer’s market: my friend was chatting to a headhunter about the availability of jobs and he said he was having to go to firms and ask them to help them fill positions when in good economy they come to him.
 
The headhunter said one noteworthy time, after seeing a job posted on a hedge fund's website, he approached the hedge fund to see if they needed help filling the role.
 
The response: “We put that job up four days ago and have so far already received 600 applications”.
 
That, my friend, is how competitive it can be to get a job but don’t despair, there are plenty of jobs out there and the below are Girl Banker®'s pick of recruitment agencies. I am not being paid to promote any of the below.
 
These recruiters specialize in the finance and investment banking industry. If you’re in another industry you’ll have to look around a bit more.

The above are my personal favourites but there are other headhunters out there. If you're in the US, the above three are a great start, as the process goes on you may discover more. For the UK, here are a few more firms.

Source Executive Grapevine (2015)

A bloody good story. At the end of every chapter, I immediately wanted to read the next. This book has even the subtle nuances of banking down to a T and not only that, it makes them exciting! Seriously, I want to see the movie.

I have one rule when it comes to reading, if my interest hasn't been piqued after the first 20 pages then I won't bother. There wasn't a single chapter in the books that didn't leave me wanting to read on. It was a very engaging story and what made it even better is how realistic it really is - small things like Nick not being able to navigate the Deal Team folders are so typical.

I also liked small bits of knowledge like the connection between maths and music or the arts, most people don't know that - I certainly learnt something new here.

There's lots of clever writing and dialogue in the story; for instance, I loved the analogy between reading Ryan and a nursery school book in extra large print. That was very clever.

I also loved the balance that Jamie brought to the whole Ryan saga.

The one thing I thought was incorrect was the statement about Vice Presidents being a low position in banks. VP at Goldman Sachs, for instance, is a reasonably high position and the sort of work that Alfred was doing would typically be done by Associates. However, I did see that they didn't have Associate as a position in the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book. 

​by Girl Banker

Getting an internship is hard, getting one when you don't fit into the standard criteria is even harder. I recently held a talk at Birmingham Business School on strategies for finding a job or internship when the standard programmes won't accept you. I thought I would share a few of the points here with you.

1. Networking

Networking is very important but it becomes critical when you can't get an internship. Recruiters host most of their events at universities so look for events at your university as well as other nearby institutions. Do some serious reading on how to network effectively.

How to Network Yourself into an Investment Bank (part 1)

2. Leverage your friends

This doesn't necessarily fall under networking because when you "network" you try to forge new connections, however, have you looked at your friend lists (and friends of friends) closely? If you haven't been in touch with certain friends for a while look them up on LinkedIn to see what experiences they have recently had that you may not necessarily know about. 

If your friends haven't started working then speak to them about contacts that they may have through family as well as via their own networking efforts.

Don't feel embarrassed to ask for help! Even if you are shooting for banks that you believe won't give you a second look chat to friends about your plans. They may surprise you with the feedback that they give you.

3. Focus on Them Not You

Be guided by the principle that people love themselves. If you haven't already read, How To Make Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie who explains this concept eloquently. If you can make a potential employer look good, they will love you immediately. If you can solve a problem that they have they will want you to come in.

4. Keep In Touch With Your Careers Office

Your careers office is there to help you even after you graduate; connect with them. 

• Check-in regularly for new information. 
• Sign up to all their relevant mailing lists
• Speak to them about your issues

5. Speak To Headhunters

If you have previous RELEVANT experience, they can help. If you don’t, this avenue is not open to you. Here are some headhunters you can start off with: 
GirlBanker.com/Headhunters

6. Look At Associate-level Internships

The requirements to get onto internships for Associates can be more flexible than analyst-level programmes, however, you need to have relevant work experience.

7. Look For Off-cycle Internships

These are harder to find but they will be more accessible to people that don’t fit into standard internships. E.g. the Goldman's returnship. Go to banks’ websites to find them.

8. Go For Smaller Firms

Look at boutiques and small firms, e.g. firms listed number 11 and lower in my book: 
Pages 42-44 in To Become An Investment Banker, Tables 2.2, 2.3, 2.4.

9. Chase Bankers That Are Similar To You

Fact: People like people that are like themselves so seek out:

• Alumni from your school
• Alumni from your university
• People from your country
• People of your race (!)
• People with similar (unique) hobbies
• People that have undertaken challenges that you have, e.g. Ironman Triathlon

10. Don't Forget The Other Stuff

• Grades matter;
• Presentation, i.e. the way you look and come across matters;
• Presentation, i.e. the way your CV/resume or cover letter looks matters. Don't make basic errors especially with grammar and spelling!

Hope this helps!
Heather -> BOOK COACHING

​by National Debt Relief

As a new banker, you may not, as yet, have encountered a deal involving a company in bankruptcy. But considering that investment bankers often play a role in offering advice and financing to bankrupt companies, you most likely will be involved with one soon and it's good to follow some tips for dealing with the situation.

Chapter 11 cases

Companies that are in the midst of trying to reorganize under bankruptcy protection will probably need a source of funding to cover costs of payroll, inventory and operations. This kind of financing is called debtor in possession financing. 

Often, a major creditor will step in to offer debtor in possession financing on the premise that it will strengthen its chance to get its original investment back. However, in cases where no such creditor steps forward, it provides an opportunity for an investment bank to either set up the financing or provide it itself.

Although entities providing debtor in possession financing don't enjoy the same protection as secured creditors, they do gain a position ahead of unsecured creditors. They can also look for ways to gain security by getting into a junior lien position or attaching senior liens to assets that aren`t currently pledged as collateral. Although there is some risk involved in doing debtor in possession financing, it does offer some security and can be a lucrative endeavor.

Chapter 7 cases

When a company faces liquidation, it may still need financing to get through the bankruptcy process, for instances such as a bankruptcy auction or finding a bidder to buy the company or its assets. Again, an investment bank can play a role in setting up this financing. In this case, the financing will likely be secured and you will have a good chance of protecting your principal and also earning a reasonable return on the money lent.

Lending post-bankruptcy

A company that has previously declared bankruptcy or that has just emerged from bankruptcy can have a hard time obtaining financing from traditional sources. That can present an opportunity. If you do your homework and find a company that seems financially sound and with good business products, your investment bank may be able to lend the business money at higher than market rates. You also may be able to arrange funding through another source and get fees for doing so. 

State laws

When dealing with a company in a bankruptcy situation, make sure you take heed of any country-specific or state-specific laws that may apply. In addition to the federal bankruptcy code, some states in the US have their own laws regarding business bankruptcies and funding of companies in bankruptcy, so you have to be aware of those to make sure you don't take any actions that run foul of those laws.

Having more information about bankruptcy, either to help your customer or for your own education, is a good thing. National Debt Relief has a wealth of information about ways to avoid bankruptcy as well as help available to those who have already filed.

​by Bankruptcy Advice

A career in banking doesn't exactly scream 'poverty'. In 2013 the starting salaries for investment bankers with a bachelor`s degree are typically between $100,000 and $150,000. Further bonuses can exceed 100% of the base salary. 

For many junior bankers, this means they can afford a lavish lifestyle. However, earning good money isn't the end of the story and a lavish lifestyle can soon overtake actual income. Sometimes bankers, along with other professionals, fall into the trap of trying to "keep up with the Joneses" instead of accumulating assets. Earning money is all very well, but if you don't have any assets to show for it, you're not securing your future. Spending it as soon as you get it will soon leave you `asset poor.`

Assets are Golden

One of the most obvious examples of an asset is property. You'll have heard the old adage, "put your money into bricks and mortar." Life insurance policies, pension plans and high interest savings accounts are other safe options that can be converted to cash if needed. 

Splashing out on the latest high-tech gadgets may be more exciting than all the above, but gadgets go out of fashion and become as wanted as a chocolate fireguard when the next craze comes along. Buying an expensive car will feel good, but unless it is a collectible classic, it will lose its value the minute you leave the showroom.

Risk Taking

Bankers have the opportunity to invest money in order to try to accumulate more, but not all investments are safe. Purchasing high risk stocks is tempting and sometimes pays off, but it is not wise to invest all of your money in shares; it's a gamble, after all. It is better to have a healthy mix of investments, spread out between stocks, bonds and cash savings in order to protect your assets.

Peer Pressure

Because the position carries a lot of prestige, many bankers feel they should live up to expectations and spend money on status symbols. Designer clothing and watches have no resale value of any worth and trying to compete with colleagues or impress the boss is a fool's mission. 

Young people coming into the profession feel the pressure to 'look the part.' They're expected to socialize too and that can turn into a champagne lifestyle beyond their means. Skiing vacations, trendy nightclubs and exclusive golf club memberships will hemorrhage money pretty quickly.

Getting Help

A banker who is used to a certain lifestyle and spending more than they earn may face a financial crisis sooner than expected. For someone working in the financial sector, it`s particularly embarrassing for them to admit to having money troubles. Bankers are often too proud to go for bankruptcyadvice.co.uk, but they must swallow their pride and face their problem head on. 

Getting advice on acquiring and protecting assets, limiting expenses, resisting temptations one cannot afford and planning for a sound financial future is a wise course of action. No matter what our profession, being asset poor goes against common sense.