Question: What are the first steps I should take while preparing to enter the investment banking industry?
Answer: The best step that a candidate can take in order to secure a job in investment banking (other than actually applying for the job) is to be a top-performing student at a respected college or graduate school of business. Beyond that, those in charge of the hiring process will want to see that a candidate is smart, can do the work of an investment banker, and is fun to be around. Smarts may (on paper at least) be demonstrated by academic performance. In order to demonstrate that one can do the work of a banker, it is not at all necessary to have banking experience; it is more important have experiences that have posed a challenge, required critical thinking, required a hard work effort, and required teamwork.
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