According to Wikipedia, "an Investment Bank is a financial institution that deals with raising capital, trading in securities and managing corporate mergers and acquisitions." A literal translation of that would mean, "An institution that ROLLS in money." Literally. An investment bank deals in crores of rupees on a daily basis, which is why investment banking makes for an attractive career option.

But with the recent economic slowdown, investment banking has also become the most challenging and stressful of all jobs. With big banks being knocked down like ninepins, investment bankers are having more sleepless nights than ever before. The European banking sector, especially, has shaken the very foundation of the world economy. Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch were bought over, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley became bank holding companies to stay in business.

And yet, investment banking continues to be THE hot career for financial professionals-handling other people's money is a HUGE responsibility that comes with HUGE bouquets (read: income) or HUGE brickbats (read: getting fired). Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) is another lucrative arm of investment banking, one that offers the opportunity to handle really large organisations.

All of this though, comes with a large cost. If you still want to take up investment banking as a career, then you should be ready to work at least 90-100 hours every week, Saturdays and Sundays included. But if you're hard-working and have talent, there will come a time when you will be able to relax at home while your subordinates do the bulk of the work. The hard part though, is getting to THAT level.

There is enough scope, though-there are opportunities in the emerging markets of China, India and Russia. We give you two examples:

o Recently, in January 2008, Deutsche Bank formally launched itself in China in January 2008, as many fellow European banks have done in recent years.

o In March 2008, Barclays paid US$ 745 million for acquiring Russia's Expobank.

These are just two major movements in the investment banking sector-there are many more just waiting to happen. And that's when job opportunities will arise. There are few good investment bankers in the country today, and organisations are waiting to recruit anyone who's ready to take up the mantle of INVESTMENT BANKER. Are you? Then we suggest you better get used to computer screens, and throw your watch away. It is going to be a long, but exciting journey.