How to become an investment banker

Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/careers/graduate-jobs/how-to-become/how-to-become-an-investment-banker Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/careers/graduate-jobs/how-to-become

Find out how to get into a career in investment banking in the UK.

Information is correct as at October 2025. Before deciding whether to pursue a career, you are advised to contact your college careers service for the most up-to-date guidance.

How to get into investment banking

Investment bankers help large organisations access financial markets to raise large sums of capital. They provide expert advice on the best ways to achieve this.

If you decide to go into investment banking, you may:

buy and sell shares on the stock market
forecast profit margins
carry out risk analysis
be involved in acquiring new businesses or merging with other companies.

Already a Sussex student? See our banking sector guide.

Qualifications required

You normally need a degree to become an investment banker. Most employers will accept a degree in any subject (usually a 2.1 and UCAS points may be used, too), but numerate degrees such as finance may be useful for some roles.

You may also decide to go on to a postgraduate degree such as a Masters or PhD depending on which areas you wish to specialise in.

If you haven't studied a degree yet, and you're considering one, browse our related subject areas:

Skills required

You need to be:

a good communicator
good at building relationships
good at negotiating
analytical
numerical
accurate, logical and methodical
a good problem solver
confident
able to meet deadlines and work well under pressure.

Careers website Prospects has some good advice about becoming an investment banker.

Earning potential as an investment banker

£50kstarting salary for an investment analyst (plus bonus)
£90kaverage salary for an investment banking associate (plus bonus)
65hours a week (but hours are variable with some weekend and evening work and depends on your employer)
3 yearsis how long it takes to move from an investment banking analyst to an associate but this could vary

salaries from careers website Bright Network.\

How to get experience as an investment banker

You may want to get as much experience as you can to show potential employers that you are serious about the industry. Try Springpod's virtual investment banking work experience programme to find out more about what it involves. When you study with us, we advise you should look for a spring week in your first year and internship or placement opportunities in your second year. The University of Sussex Business School has specialist careers and employability support for your career aspirations.

Sometimes investment banks will offer their interns full-time postitions. You may also be able to join a graduate scheme after you complete your degree.

Sometimes investment banks post vacancies and work experience opportunties on careers service bulletins at universities. They may also attend careers fairs, which provides a good opportunity for you to meet with them and discuss your options.

Try looking for opportunities at:

My area of interest was in investment banking, and I was lucky to get accepted at one of the most prestigious investment banks in the world - UBS.” Alon sammy\ BSC Finance and Digital Finance

Studying at Sussex

If you choose to study your degree at Sussex, you'll benefit from:

careers support for up to three years after you graduate
the chance to join our alumni network Sussex Connect
mentoring schemes so you get real-world advice, support and experience while you study.