From Analyst Monkey to King of the Jungle MD: The Investment Banking Hierarchy

“This is not a fraternity house,” my staffer explained as he hauled me into a small conference room.

“Some of the MDs have complained about how messy your desk is, so clean it up.”

Genuinely curious, I replied, “Were you referring to the empty Red Bull cans or to all the papers too?”

Not a good start to your 3rd week on the job.

I told this story to a few co-workers afterward and they all laughed and responded the same way:

“He’s lying, a bank is exactly like a frat house.”

They were right – just like a fraternity, there’s hazing, a hierarchy, and certain rituals you must go through to advance.

While this site has been analyst-focused in the past, today you’re going to learn all about this hierarchy, how much you get paid at each level, how the work differs, the average age range, and the possible exit opportunities.

And if you’re curious about hours please stop reading this site right now.

Age and Investment Banking: How Old Is Too Old to Break In?

There’s no issue more sensitive than age.

Ok, maybe the CFA, GPA rounding, and Brazil come close.

But I’ve gotten many panicked “How old is too old to break in?” questions over the years.

Rather than skirting around this issue yet again, let’s jump in and see:

• Why the problem is not your age at all
• Why some experiences make you “older” than others
• Why banks like less experienced and capable recruits
• What to do if you are “too old”

Investment Banking in India: How to Break In Even If You’ve Been Out of School for 5+ Years and You Don’t Have a Finance Background

I get a lot of questions about this one, but everyone behind M&I is pretty clueless when it comes to India.

Luckily, that’s not the case with our readers – many of whom work in the region or are planning to in the near future.

This interview comes to you from a reader who landed a boutique investment banking Associate position in India, coming from a non-finance background (engineering).

Read on to learn all about investment banking in India, how it’s different from North America and Europe, and how you can break in.