How can I be a good investment banking analyst?

You can be a good investment banking analyst by mastering networking and the power of persuasion and dedicating upwards of 80 hours per week to your career.

Investment banking analysts report to investment bankers, who act as advisors to corporations, governments, and other entities. Investment banking teams are typically tasked with helping their clients raise capital, assisting with financial processes like mergers and acquisitions, and buying and selling securities.

To secure a role as an investment banking analyst, you need the right education, the right connections, and the right personality. You will need to do a few more things to be good at what you do, such as practicing the following:

Mastering Networking

You can be a good investment banking analyst by mastering networking. Networking is crucial in investment banking to secure and retain clients. Many investment banking analysts are well-networked in their families and communities and have relatives who also work in investment banking.

Often, these connections are necessary to even secure a position in this elite field. If you don't already have these connections, you will need to work twice as hard to build your network. Networking through the alumni network at your university and earning an internship are great places to start. You also won't want to shy away from cold contacts.

Networking is all about making connections. You will need to connect with powerful and affluent movers and shakers in your career as an investment banking analyst.

To do this, you need to look and act the part. Clients entrust investment banking teams with large sums of money. You should look and sound like someone who can handle that level of responsibility.

Mastering the Power of Persuasion

You can be a good investment banking analyst by mastering the power of persuasion.

Investment banking teams develop financial models and translate them into a digestible format in order to convince clients to take specific financial actions. This requires superior communication, presentation, and persuasion skills.

Some of these skills can be taught, but many have to do with individual personality characteristics. Investment banking analysts are typically tenacious Type-A personalities with high levels of ethos and emotional intelligence.

Dedicating Upwards of 80 Hours Per Week to Your Career

You can be a good investment banking analyst with hard work and tenacity. On investment banking teams, this typically translates to regularly dedicating upwards of 80 hours per week to your career. Investment banking analysts need to always be available to respond to a client's request.

That is why investment banking analyst careers are so lucrative. The work is not easy, nor is the path to get there.