Early Money: A Brief Introduction to the World of High Finance and the Opportunities to Transition from College Student to Investment Banker

RJ Ammons and Morgan Eldon, the authors of this book, first met at Harvard College when they were 18 and 19 years old, respectively. While Morgan Eldon started college with plans to become a fiction writer, RJ Ammons started college with plans to become a lawyer. Throughout their years at Harvard, they both learned about and became interested in various careers in the financial services industry, a field that they had known little about before attending Harvard. The purpose of this book is simple: we aim to inform college students of entry-level positions in the financial services industry. Specifically, we aim to shed light on entry-level roles at investment banks. We have chosen to focus on banking because it is the most popular path for freshly minted college graduates, and entry-level positions in banking do not require specific educational requirements beyond those satisfied by a bachelor s degree. Additionally, we have included an introduction to venture capital and private equity. Although there are relatively few entry-level positions available for college graduates, our experience has shown that positions can be successfully secured for those who have prior experience in finance via internships. These industries are much more private and typically do not openly recruit college graduates.