Finance
Investment Banking
Overview
Skills & Talents
Job Options
Salaries
Links & Resources
Facts & Trends
Top Firms
Job Market Outlook
Job Listings
Life as an Analyst
Life as an Associate
Headhunter List
Investment Bank List
Trip to New York
Site Info
About Us
Advertising
Career Resources and Books
- The Fast Track: The Insider's Guide to Winning Jobs in Management Consulting, Investment Banking, and Securities Trading.
- By Miriam Naficy.
- A recent Stanford Job and former employee of Goldman Sachs provides a highly practical overview of what it takes to get a good finance job. Highly recommended.
- A recent Stanford Job and former employee of Goldman Sachs provides a highly practical overview of what it takes to get a good finance job. Highly recommended.
- Harvard Business School Career Guide: Finance 1999
- Lists job descriptions in various departments of major investment banks, commercial banks and
Fortune 500 firms including contact persons, addresses and phone numbers. An invaluable
resource.
- So You Want to be an Investment Banker
- Wet Feet Press, 1999.
The Wet Feet career guides are outstanding. You will also
find a series of firm profiles at their web site.
- Bloomberg
- A financial information station that is increasingly appearing in good business schools.
Check out the jobs section to obtain listings of hundreds of current jobs in finance (mostly
investment banking). A great and current resource.
- Business and Finance Career Directory
- This resource lists numerous investment banks and contact people.
- The Business of Investment Banking
- By K. Thomas Liaw, John Wiley, 1999.
- A complete guide to all major investment banking activities in today's global capital marketplace. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the current market practices in all relevant business segments. The book goes beyond traditional banking topics of underwriting and M&As and includes extensive coverage of rarely written about subjects that are integral to investment banking such as proprietary trading, repurchase transactions, financial engineering, money management, clearing and settlement, London and Euro markets and securities regulation.
- A complete guide to all major investment banking activities in today's global capital marketplace. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the current market practices in all relevant business segments. The book goes beyond traditional banking topics of underwriting and M&As and includes extensive coverage of rarely written about subjects that are integral to investment banking such as proprietary trading, repurchase transactions, financial engineering, money management, clearing and settlement, London and Euro markets and securities regulation.
- Careers and the MBA
- Bob Adams, Inc., Annual magazine lists hundreds of
companies currently recruiting MBAs., (800) 872-5627.
- Careers for Financial Mavens & Other Money Movers
- By Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler, NTC
Publishing Group, October 1998.
- A good overview of career possibilities for those with an interest in investing and Wall Street.
- A good overview of career possibilities for those with an interest in investing and Wall Street.
- Da Guide.
- A surprisingly informative free guide to investment banking careers developed by University
of Chicago MBA students.
- FinCareer.com
- Offers job leads in investment banking and a valuable set of finance resources.
- How to Become a Securities Analyst.
- An article online courtesy of the New York Society of Securities Analysts.
- InvestmentBanking.net
- Will prepare you for an upcoming Wall Street interview.
- "Launching a Career on Wall Street: It's Not Like the Movie,"
- By Heidi Steiger, Managing Director, Neuberger & Berman, in
Business and Finance Career
Directory.
- Job Search Tips for Investment Bankers.
- Courtesy of the New York Society of Security Analysts.
- Job Seekers Guide to Wall Street Recruiters
- By Christopher Hunt and Scott Scanlon, John
Wiley, 1998.
- Lists over 1500 recruiters who can help you find a job on Wall Street.
- Lists over 1500 recruiters who can help you find a job on Wall Street.
- Networking for Results.
- Courtesy of the New York Society of Security Analysts.
- Tim Crack's Guide to Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviewers.
- If you are interviewing for a job in
derivatives or other relatively quantiative area you should get this book. Amazing!
- BrainTeasers from Bankers Trust.
- Get ready for tricky questions by practicing here.
- Finance Professional
- Provides advice and links on careers in investment banking and other areas. Their 10 Job Tips is
well worth the read if you are trying to break into Wall Street.
- Suggested courses for sales and trading positions
- Courtesy of Campbell Harvey of Duke University.
- Suggested courses for investment banking positions
- Courtesy of Campbell Harvey of Duke University.
Organizations
- Association of Investment Management and Research
- P.O. Box 3668, Charlottesville, VA 22901, 1-800-247-8132 or 804-980-3668
(outside of the United States and Canada). Offers programs leading to the Chartered
Financial Analyst (CFA)
designation which is increasingly important in establishing yourself as an equities
analyst. Also operates a free phone job hotline for members only.
- Bond Market Association.
- An advocate for the
bond market. Fantastic research on trends in fixed income is available. If you are
interested in bonds, you have to visit this site.
- New York Society of Security Analysts.
- Has good
career information. You don't have to live in New York to join.
- Securities Industry Association.
- The leading association of investment banks. You can learn much about the industry by perusing their site.
Entertaining and Informative Tales
- Barbarians at the Gate
- By Bryan Burrough and John Helyar.
You saw the movie. Well, the book is better. The story of investment bankers clambering over each other to get a piece of the action on the 1988 RJR/Nabisco LBO is well worth reading. - Bombardiers
- By Po Bronson, 1995, Random House.
- This is arguably the best-written book on investment banking in existence. According to Business Week: "Perhaps the most entertaining depiction of greed and dishonesty on Wall Street ever to see print." Presents a sometimes surreal, slightly fictionalized account of the fixed income sales floor at CS First Boston's San Francisco office. Start by reading Filth for free on the net now. If you are thinking about investment banking be sure to read this book. And don't forget the rest of Po Bronson's Cool Home Page.
- This is arguably the best-written book on investment banking in existence. According to Business Week: "Perhaps the most entertaining depiction of greed and dishonesty on Wall Street ever to see print." Presents a sometimes surreal, slightly fictionalized account of the fixed income sales floor at CS First Boston's San Francisco office. Start by reading Filth for free on the net now. If you are thinking about investment banking be sure to read this book. And don't forget the rest of Po Bronson's Cool Home Page.
- Fiasco: Blood in the Water on Wall Street
- By Frank Partnoy, W. W. Norton, 1997.
- A recent alumni of Morgan Stanley relates his amazing experiences at the firm prior to the Mexico crisis in 1994. Entertaining although not quite as good as Liars Poker. Tends to suggest that derivatives are bad without delineating a position.
- A recent alumni of Morgan Stanley relates his amazing experiences at the firm prior to the Mexico crisis in 1994. Entertaining although not quite as good as Liars Poker. Tends to suggest that derivatives are bad without delineating a position.
- Investment Biker.
- Jim Rogers, a former hedge fund manager, who started in Demopolis, Alabama, travels 65,000 miles around
the world on a motorcycle offers great commentary on emerging economies, international
finance and adventure. A great read especially if you are interested in investing in
foreign markets.
- Liars Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
- By Michael Lewis, Norton Books, 1989.
- A lucidly written, humorous account of the bizarre life of a Salomon Brothers bond salesman. Essential reading. Raises ethical and management questions about practices at Salomon. Cost: $8. Also look at The Money Culture by Michael Lewis. Contains well-written vignettes about pay, culture and wacko things that happen in investment banking etc.
- A lucidly written, humorous account of the bizarre life of a Salomon Brothers bond salesman. Essential reading. Raises ethical and management questions about practices at Salomon. Cost: $8. Also look at The Money Culture by Michael Lewis. Contains well-written vignettes about pay, culture and wacko things that happen in investment banking etc.
- Reminiscences of a Stock Operator,
- By Edwin Lefevre, John Wiley & Sons. Reprinted: 1994.
- This is probably the best book on this list. It's engrossing, very well-written and 75 years old. If you interested in investment banking or investing, you should to read this book. It talks about the life of Jesse Livermore, who started investing in bucket shops as a kid. He went on to gain and lose fortunes several times. The lessons learned and stories told are enduring.
- This is probably the best book on this list. It's engrossing, very well-written and 75 years old. If you interested in investment banking or investing, you should to read this book. It talks about the life of Jesse Livermore, who started investing in bucket shops as a kid. He went on to gain and lose fortunes several times. The lessons learned and stories told are enduring.
- Riding the Bull: My Year in the Madness at Merrill Lynch
- By Paul Stiles, Times Books, 1998.
- One of those first person tell-all books like FIASCO and Liars Poker. Good story, but Stiles isn't a born writer. You definitely feel for him and are glad he got out.
- One of those first person tell-all books like FIASCO and Liars Poker. Good story, but Stiles isn't a born writer. You definitely feel for him and are glad he got out.
- The Velocity of Money. A Novel of Wall Street.
- A thriller that also explains a lot about trading
and the Street. Don't open it unless you have time to finish it.
- Where are the Customers' Yachts?: A Good Hard Look at Wall Street.
- A visitor was being shown around Manhattan. "There," said the guide, pointing at the East
River, "are the Wall Street brokers' yachts." "Where are the customers'
yachts?" was the naive reply. This amusing story of Wall Street written in 1940 by
Fred Schwed tells you how the game is really played. Applies today better than ever.
Ideas and Know-How
- Dawn of a New Era on Wall Street
- From Booz Allen & Hamilton Insights, April 1998. A very
good online report talks about the changing nature of the investment banking business.
Well worth a read.
- Big Deal: The Battle for the Control of America's Leading Corporations.
- By Bruce Wasserstein, Warner Books, 1988.
- The Principal of Wassterstein-Perella talks about the techniques of the M&A business. A great read if you are interested in the field. Serious stuff.
- The Principal of Wassterstein-Perella talks about the techniques of the M&A business. A great read if you are interested in the field. Serious stuff.
- Capital Ideas
- By Peter Bernstein. Vaishno Rajesh, MBA at the University of Michigan Business School
writes: "I found this book extremely rich in providing background in all the modern
financial theory in a lucid fashion. I think anyone who wants to consider a career in
finance will find it useful."
- The Death of the Banker: The Decline and Fall of the Great Financial Dynasties and the Triumph of the Small Investor
- By Ron Chernow. A thought-provoking book that explains
why the world of investment banking works the way it does today. If you want to sound
smart this would be a good book to read in the week before an interview.
- Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders.
- by Jack Schwager (also New Market Wizards).
- This book is a classic which features viewpoints from a variety of Wall Street Superstars like Bruce Kovner and Michael Steinhardt.
- This book is a classic which features viewpoints from a variety of Wall Street Superstars like Bruce Kovner and Michael Steinhardt.
- The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing.
- This handy
fact-filled book initiates you into the mysteries of the financial pages -- buying stocks,
bonds, mutual funds, futures and options, spotting trends and evaluating companies. An
excellent, well-illustrated overview of the markets. Good prep for an interview if you
haven't had a bunch of finance courses yet.
- Finance Site List
- An online compendium of web sites of interest to students and those who follow finance. Courtesy of the Journal of Finance.
Magazines and Newspapers (Online and Off)
- The Daily Deal
- This online and print periodical covers what's going on in the world of M&A and
investment banking. It's a rich source of info on breaking news stories, profiles,
institutional rankings, fine print, structures and personalities. Highly recommended.
- Economist
- Widely read weekly covers world of investment banking, politics and art quite
well. You have to read this if you plan to go into the field.
- Euromoney
- Covers investment banking well and focuses on happenings in the bond market. Has
a strong international flair. Widely read on the street.
- Financial Technology Network
- Covers what's going on in technology on Wall Street and the financial sector.
- Institutional Investor Newsletters
- BondWeek, Corporate Financing Week, Derivatives Week, Emerging Markets Week and
others are widely read on the Street. You can catch much of the action online.
- New York Times
- Sunday classified section in
New York edition is reknown for listing ads by investment banks looking for talent. Cost:
$1.25 at newsstands. Also look at the Financial Times and
CareerPath.
- Red Herring.
- Covers technology industry finance.
Good if you are interested in investment banking in this area.
- Wall Street Journal.
- The most widely read
business periodical in the world. And it's on the net! You must register for the net
version. Great way to keep up with what's going on in the markets and the world. Following
tombstones and ads is also a good way to see which banks are involved in what types of
activity this year. You may also be interested in Careers.wsj.com.
- Web Finance
- This magazine covers many recent trends on Wall Street and lists recent security issues. Good way to follow the industry. From Investment Dealer's Digest.
People and Their Stories
- Bernard Baruch: The Adventures of a Wall Street Legend.
-
By James Grant. John Wiley, 1997.
- An inspiring story of a savvy, hare-brained investor who went on to serve his country.
- An inspiring story of a savvy, hare-brained investor who went on to serve his country.
- The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
- By Ron Chernow.
- This is an exceptionally good book. Well-written, detailed and full of lessons for anyone with an interest in financing and investment banking.