Luxembourg Banking Jobs - starting your career

First thing is you are going to have to be at least a graduate with a first class honors in a numerate degree subject. Secondly you will need fluent French and English. Got those - great you should read on. If you haven’t you should probably think of some other career than banking in Luxembourg.

With regard to those with finance and business majors, the most coveted job offers to have at graduation for those who wish to enter banking in Luxembourg, will almost certainly been a junior analyst position at a Luxembourg based investment bank.
Whilst many graduates are attracted because of the pay, the prestige and also the fast-pace lifestyle that these types of twenty-something analysts live - there is of course a bigger picture than that. Nonetheless rushing off your applications, prospective analysts should ensure that they understand what they may be getting themselves into. Even though each year many seek out investment banking careers, few will succeed. Bear in mind that there are only a finite number of IPOs, mergers and leveraged buyouts that can happen each year, therefore this type of prestige banking can only support a number of jobs.

Furthermore, there a wide range of peaks and troughs in this industry, so even when you have a job one year, you may not 12 months later. This has never been truer than right at the moment.

Despite the high amount of competition and the level of job insecurity, there roles in investment banking always command a huge amount of interest. So to gain an inside track lets look at exactly which kind of person are these banks are looking to recruit?

Stick a foot in the door

Obviously the banks want bright minds who can easily articulate and internalize complex business methodologies, but Luxembourg banks are looking for students who are also driven and disciplined to the point of obsessional behavior.

Strangely often professional athletes will have the ideal personality kind for investment banking. They talk about teamwork and engage in it and yet are capable and driven to drill on a daily basis to win. That's the mentality you need.

With regard to education and experience, bankers are likely to be looking for candidates from a business and finance background. Good majors include financial, accounting, business administration and also economics, but even math, science and engineering majors may be acceptable should that individual demonstrate the right attributes and that they understand the industry that they are getting themselves into.

It will have helped that you have undertaken Internships and various banking work experience, but don’t believe they will give you much of a jump on other fresh starters. You all start at the bottom!

If a Luxembourg banking job applicant can demonstrate that they are comfortable with financial modeling as well as analysis, they are just about guaranteed to get an interview for a junior analyst position.

Luxembourg Banking Interviews

Once chosen for an interview, the time is right for banking analyst candidates to begin sweating. These job interviews tend to be amongst the toughest in the Grand Duchy, and potential candidates should worry before entering an interview if they have not undertaken at least a series of practice interviews. If you have not talked to your banking recruitment specialist ASAP

During these interviews, banking recruiters are searching to confirm that the abilities which they identified on a CV can be transferable to the real banking world. They may do this by employing brain teaser tests, logic puzzles, rigorous financial analysis exercises and throw in random and odd questions to see how the applicant responds to pressure and stress. If you think more Special Forces verbal exercises than banking exam you will be in the right ball park.

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