| Investment banking is one of the top career picks for MBA grads – and for good reason. I-banking jobs are challenging, exciting, and lucrative. They offer b-school grads a chance to put all their knowledge and skills to work, and to be well-rewarded for succeeding. It's a mistake, though, to assume that getting an MBA from a top b-school automatically gets you a foot in the door to an I-banking career. Here's why: I-banking recruiters are looking for top grads from top MBA programs – but they're also looking for grads with previous work experience. They don't just want people with classroom knowledge. They want people who have already shown they can perform and who already understand the day-to-day realities of the field they'll be working in. An MBA degree alone won't get you the job you want. That makes leveraging an MBA into an I-banking job a tricky proposition for career changers and for anyone entering b-school right from college. Don't forget that a lot of top b-school students already have an investment banking job or other relevant financial experience under their belts when they begin their programs. When it comes to applying for internships and jobs, you'll have plenty of competition. If you're thinking of getting an MBA in order to begin an I-banking career, you should take a step back and review your plans. Do you understand what investment banking work involves? Do you have any experience or skills that are relevant to those demands? Do you understand what firms you would be a credible applicant to as an intern, or after graduation? Do you know what schools host recruiters from those firms and what schools have alumni working there? Do you have the grades and other qualifications needed to get into that school? Are you likely to excel as a student at that school? The time you spend researching and reflecting on the answers to those questions will be time well spent. An MBA will be one of the largest personal financial investments you're likely to make in your life. You want to get the best return possible. The first step in achieving that is to get a realistic understanding of what you, personally, need to do to realize your career goals and where an MBA best fits in to that plan. | 
