Investment Banker Earns one of the Highest Salaries

among all Professions – AVP, DBS Bank

JULY 24, 2018

Profile Details

Full Name​ – Confidential

Age​ – 40

City/Town​ – Singapore

Profession​ – ​Investment Banker

​ BS Bank Ltd
Name of your current Organization​ – D

Current Designation​ – Assistant Vice President

How many years of Work Experience do you have?​ – 10

Name of your Under-Graduation Degree​ – B.Arch.

College of your Under-Graduation Degree​ – ​IIT Roorkee

Name of your Post-Graduation Degree​ – PGDM

College of your Post-Graduation Degree​ – ​IIM Calcutta

Please give us a summary of your Career.

After graduating from IIT-Roorkee, I joined an IT Services company and worked there for a
few years. However, it wasn’t my cup of tea and I wanted to exit working in technology.

So, I decided to do an MBA and move to the field of finance. After completing my ​MBA​ from
IIM-Kolkata, I got an opportunity to work as a Banker with a big Singapore-headquartered
bank.

During my 7 years with the same organization, I was transferred to different countries and
different divisions twice. Salary has rarely been an issue.

Please describe your current Job Responsibilities.

Currently, I work as an AVP in the Institutional Banking Group specializing in fulfilling the
needs of South East Asian companies in the Telecom & Technology sector. My role
requires me to liaison with the finance department and other senior management personnel
of these companies and assist them with their funding requirements.

This also enables me to keep abreast of the industry trends and allows me to anticipate
business opportunities.
Average Income in this Profession in the current scenario

Starting out/Fresher​ – 20–40 Lakhs Per Annum

5 Years of Experience​ – 40–80 Lakhs Per Annum

10 Years of Experience​ – 40–80 Lakhs Per Annum

15 Years of Experience​ – 80+ Lakhs Per Annum

20 or more Years of Experience​ – 80+ Lakhs Per Annum

How would you rate Income Potential (on a scale of 1 to 5)?

Work-Life Balance

On an average, how many hours do you work per day?

More than 9 hours

On an average, how many days in a week do you work?

6 days

How often are you required to work in night-shift?

Very Often

Does your work require you to travel?

Often

Does your work require you to relocate to different town/cities?

Often

How would you consider the job security in your profession?

Insecure

Would you consider this Profession Risky?

Yes

Overall, how would you rate Work-Life Balance in your Profession(On a Scale of 1 to
5)?
Overall, how would you rate Job Stability of your Profession (On a Scale of 1 to 5)?

What are the different ways of entering this profession?

The primary way of entering this profession is by doing an MBA from a reputed college and
majoring in Finance. Though I have seen some colleagues who pursued their ​CFA
certifications to land their jobs.

Work-Culture

How would you rate Stress-Level in your Profession?

Very Stressful

How would you rate your office/work infrastructure?

Great

How would you describe your co-workers?

Very Competitive

Generally speaking, your work is

Office Work

Overall, how would you rate Work-Culture in your Profession (On a Scale of 1 to 5)?

Importance of Education in Your Profession

Would you say that Education from top School/College plays a major role in the
success in this Profession?

Yes

What level of Education is sufficient to be successful in this Profession?

Post-Graduation in Relevant Stream

Would you say that Studious students are generally successful in this Profession?

Yes

How would you consider the Cost of Education post 12th?

Expensive

At present, which institutes are best for the education of this profession?

IIMs​, Other top international Business Schools

What is the cost of education (post 12th) of this profession at present?

20 lakhs

Overall, how would you rate the role of Education in your Profession (On a Scale of 1
to 5)?
According to you, what kind of person is likely to be Happy &
Successful in your Profession?

First Personality Trait​ — Prefer working alone or in small groups and focus on a few tasks
at a time

Second Personality Trait​ — Focus on facts and details and apply past experiences to
come up with practical solutions to problems

Third Personality Trait​ — Prefer to make decisions using logic by weighing the pros and
cons

Fourth Personality Trait​ — Prefer to be organized and stick to plan

Fifth Personality Trait​ — Prefer routine and stable life

Sixth Personality Trait​ — Prefer to be self-disciplined and organized

Seventh Personality Trait​ — Prefer to be just and fair and not try to make everyone happy

Eighth Personality Trait​ — His/Her Family and Friends agree that S/he gets easily
stressed out, angry and irritated

What are some of the positives, which would encourage

someone to become an investment banker?

The positives of a career as an Investment Banker are high salaries & perks (they are
probably one of the highest in all professions), ability to move internationally, travel and
admiration that you get from family and friends.
What are some of the negatives that you would want someone to
be aware of when considering a career in investment banking?

Among negatives for Investment Banker, the biggest is the poor work-life balance. In other
words, we work long hours and are rarely able to spend time with our families on weekdays.
Work culture too can get very competitive because there are some very smart people who
are competing with you, not only from other organizations but even your own. The third
negative I find is the high-stress levels of meeting targets and deadlines.

Recognition in your Profession

What is your family’s view of your Profession?

Impressed

What is Friends’ view of your Profession?

Impressed

What is Society’s view of your Profession?

Impressed

Overall, how would you rate the Recognition aspect of your Profession (On a Scale of
1 to 5)?
General Information on your Profession/Business

What kind of family’s financial background can maximize success in this profession?

It Doesn’t Matter

What is the ease of starting own business in this field?

Very Difficult

If your answer to the previous question is ‘Very Difficult’, would you like to mention
some of the challenges in setting up a business?

This field is dominated by very big businesses. It is tough to branch out and start on your
own. Anyway, salaries & bonuses are often high enough to justify staying in a job than start
own business.

How easy is it to move to a different country in this profession?

Very Easy
Now you have several years of work experience and you have seen professions of
others. If you are taken back to 10th/12th class and allowed to pick a profession, then
which profession will you pick and why?

I might choose to become a teacher!

Contributing Writer - ​MentorClub.in

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