The WetFeet Insider Guide to Careers in Investment Banking

So you think you want to work on Wall Street. The idea of working in the financial markets excites you—and so does the idea of making a big salary. Before you interview, though, you should take some time to consider your career choice more carefully. Do you really want to work 80 hours a week? If you do, in which firms would you best fit? And what kind of banking do you really want to do? Be sure to read this Insider Guide to learn the answers to these and many other questions:

• Firm snapshots—brief profiles of leading firms.
  
• What is working in an investment bank really like . . . beyond all the brochure-speak?
  
• What are the opportunities for undergrads and MBAs in corporate finance? Public finance? M&A? Sales and trading? Research?
  
• What do people really do in each of these areas, in plain English?
  
• Which were the top I-banking firms, by category, in 2001 and 2002?
  
• What are the latest trends in the industry?
  
• What are the best articles to read on the I-banking firms (and what is WetFeet's spin on the bottom line)?
  
• How do industry insiders describe the pluses and the minuses of an investment banking career—lifestyle, culture, perks, etc.?
  
• Talk like a banker. It's time to play investment banking buzzword bingo!
  
• How much do I-bankers get paid anyway?
  
• What are some interviewing tips from industry insiders?
  
• On what measures will your interviewer be evaluating you?
  
• What questions should you prepare for your I-banking interviews?