eFinancialCareers

'I want to work in finance.' As a statement of intent this might impress your grandmother, but a recruitment officer at an investment bank will want you to be more specific.

First, you will have to decide where you want to work. The financial services industry is dominated by two main centres, New York and London. Each employs hundreds of thousands of people and pay is often higher than in other cities.

Other US centres include Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston and Atlanta.

In Europe Frankfurt and Paris are big players, while smaller centres include Zurich, Milan and Madrid. In Asia Tokyo dominates, while other centres include Hong Kong and Singapore.

Every year, top graduates from leading universities mainly in the US, Europe and Asia enter the marketplace as graduate trainees. It is a cosmopolitan environment. In the City of London, as London's financial district is known, as many as 70% of trainees at some investment banks are non-UK nationals.

The finance industry is complex. What does an investment banker do? What is foreign exchange? What is private banking and how does it differ from private equity? What is the difference between corporate banking and corporate finance? What sort of people work in equity trading or foreign exchange dealing?

The articles that follow are designed to answer these questions. Work areas of the securities and investment industry have been divided into 19 sectors. Banks give their departments different names but the main roles are broadly similar and this guide will give you an understanding of what each job involves and the type of people who are best suited to it.

Your starting point may well be to ask yourself some pertinent questions: What kind of skills and attributes do I have? Am I analytical and thoughtful, or an ambitious risk-taker? Look at the skill requirements in each sector and check that you would be suited to that area.

Lifestyle issues are important too. Are you prepared to give up your social life for your career? Are you ready to take further exams? Not every area of finance involves working 90-hour weeks while studying for professional qualifications - but some do.

Each sector profile also provides some background information and considers current industry trends - this should be used as a starting point for your research, but there is no substitute for keeping abreast of the financial news in the media.

These profiles will give you a clear picture of the varied roles in the financial services industry and help you prepare some informed questions for your interviewers.