INVESTMENT BANKING - Office of Career Management - What is Investment Banking? - Career Guide

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Miles

Comprehensive career guide explaining investment banking as the process of raising capital for companies and advising on financing, mergers, and related alternatives. Describes how investment banks are classified by firm and deal targets, and provides representative employer examples across boutique, middle-market, and bulge bracket categories. Covers key success characteristics, networking and preparation steps, internship and summer analyst expectations, and a full recruiting interview flow from phone rounds to Super Day. Includes sample questions and typical roles across Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, and Equity Research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

What is Investment Banking?

Categories of Investment Banks

Characteristics for Success

Preparation – Importance of Networking

Preparation – Sample Internship Opportunities

Preparation – The Interview Process

Sample Interview Questions

Sample Investment Banking Roles

Typical Roles by Category

Sample Employers

Explore Business Careers INVESTMENT BANKING Office of Career Management What is Investment Banking? • The business of raising capital for companies and advising them on financing and merger alternatives • Investment banks may be categorized as boutique, middle-market, or bulge bracket depending on the size of the firm or the deal size they target • Examples: • Boutique – Evercore , Moelis, Lazard • Middle-market – William Blair, Houlihan Lokey, KeyBanc • Bulge – Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citi Group Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking Characteristics for Success | | Attention to detail | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | multiple projects and priorities | | | | | | | | | | | | of finance & accounting | | | | Deep understanding | | | | | | | | | | | | Hard working | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | skills | | | | | | | | | | |
skills | | | | Strong communication and client
| | | Balance PowerPoint and Excel Preparation – Importance of Networking • Due to the competitive nature of this field, internships/fulltime opportunities are limited for undergraduate students • Investment Banks’ recruiting processes are very unique and rely heavily on networking beforehand. To get an upper hand, it is beneficial to start to begin to build your own network by reaching out to Ohio State alumni in the field or other personal connections. Networking will give students abetter understanding of the industry, responsibilities of an analyst, and a typical work schedule that you can expect • LinkedIn and cold-emailing can serve as good resources and methods for finding relevant professionals to reach out for potential phone calls and meetings Preparation – Sample Internship Opportunities • Internship opportunities in the field of investment banking are very limited. Most firms hire candidates with past internship experience and a record of success in a particular academic field of study or industry. Many banks target Ivy League schools for potential candidates so it’s important to have unique experiences that help you stand out • Investment banking summer analysts typically areplaced within an industry or product group and work on various projects over the summer including pitches, equity offerings, debt issuances, or live M & A transactions Preparation – The Interview Process • After building your network and speaking to multiple bankers at a specific firm, candidates may be offered the opportunity to participate in a first round interview. This is typically conducted over the phone and will consist of behavioral and basic technical questions • Depending on the size of the bank, firms may elect to hold other recruiting events to learn more about the candidates. This may include additional phone screens, an invitation to dinner with recruiters and analysts, or a meeting with the bank • Typically, the entire interview process culminates into a final round, known as a Super Day. Banks will invite candidates from all over the country to their office for multiple interviews. These formal interviews will consist of a mix of more in-depth behavioral questions in addition to advanced technical questions Preparation – Sample Interview Questions • Opening/Industry/Fit: • Tell me about yourself. • Why did you choose Ohio State? • Why did you choose your major? • Why do you want to pursue investment banking? • Why are you interested in XYZ Bank? • Behavioral: • Of your past experiences, what will help you as an analyst? • Tell me about a time you failed. • Tell me about a time you worked on a team that lacked direction. • Technical: • What are the main financial statements and how are they connected? • How does depreciation expense affect all three statements? • What are the three main valuation methodologies? • Walk me through a discounted cash flow (DCF) model. • Pitch me a sto

FAQs

What does investment banking involve?

Investment banking focuses on raising capital for companies and advising them on financing and merger alternatives.

How are investment banks commonly categorized?

They may be categorized as boutique, middle-market, or bulge bracket depending on the size of the firm or the targeted deal size.

What does the recruiting interview process typically look like?

After networking and speaking with bankers, candidates may start with a first-round phone interview and then proceed to a final Super Day with multiple formal interviews at the firm.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Miles