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What Do Investment Bankers Actually Do Day to Day?
What do investment bankers actually do on a day-to-day basis? It's one of the most prestigious jobs out there, but few people know what the work really looks like.
Investment bankers are like realtors, but for companies. When you want to sell your house, you could do it yourself. Or you could hire a realtor who knows the market, has the connections, and handles the buyers, showings, and negotiations. Bankers do the same thing when companies want to buy or sell something big.
Here are some key parts of the job, especially as a junior banker:
- •Building financial models — Projecting revenue, expenses, and cash flow for clients or potential buyers.
- •Creating marketing materials — Slide decks used to tell a company's story and attract buyers or investors.
- •Doing valuation work — Using different methods to estimate how much a company is worth or what someone might pay for it.
- •Market research and tracking trends — Staying on top of industry news, competitor moves, and market dynamics that impact your client.
- •Buyer outreach and coordination — Helping contact potential buyers, organize meetings, and manage due diligence.
- •Preparing management teams — Coaching executives to present their company in the best light to investors or acquirers.
- •Working on bake-offs — Competitions where multiple banks pitch for the same deal.
- •Internal updates and client calls — Constantly refreshing materials, answering questions, and prepping for meetings.
Senior bankers mostly spend their time building relationships, pitching deals, and convincing investors to say yes to what they are selling.
Before I got into banking, I thought it was mostly a numbers job. But it's really a sales and relationship business. You're always selling: a company, a deal, your advice.
It's not for everyone. But the reps, the rigor, and the relationships give you something that takes much longer to develop elsewhere.
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