If you want to spend time on your client’s yacht, eating caviar and drinking Crystal, then go into private banking! The caviar, the champagne and the yacht are no guarantees, but the probability is higher than if you toil around on a trading floor. In private banking, you care for the finances of the rich and wealthy, and sometimes the ultra-wealthy. But it’s not all play: the breadth of products - and solutions available - is so wide, that you have to spend considerable time learning and understanding what are the drivers of the price movements for what you sell. Many of the clients also expect you to behave as a trusted advisor, not just a pure salesperson. And when the value of their portfolio drops! Beware….

Senior private bankers tend to get very close to their client base, and their knowledge base spans beyond that of the products they sell. Moreover, as a private banker, you are not bound to selling just your bank’s products; you can sell other banks’ products for instance, if you deem it adequate: in fact, it is your duty to find the best deal for the client. And best of all? Your bonus comes in quarterly (in most cases); you don’t have to wait 12 months like in other divisions.