Investment bankers are finance professionals who work at the forefront of capital-raising initiatives in the financial markets, and these positions are common places to find corporate finance jobs. Financial analysts may rate equity or debt deals that occur in the capital markets, and as a result, jobs in corporate finance are available at analyst firms. Corporate finance jobs involve using the financial markets to raise debt or equity to improve an organization’s operations, support growth, and provide value to shareholders without taking on too many financial risks.
There are a variety of corporate finance jobs available under the investment banking umbrella. The focus of banking groups at large investment banks is frequently divided by industry, such as retail, gaming, or technology, or by the type of money-raising and underwriting activities that will take place, such as debt or equity transactions. Bankers who specialize in a particular industry conduct transactions throughout various market cycles and may be able to predict the best economic conditions for raising capital in that industry. There may be opportunities for junior and senior banker positions, and those who meet the qualifications can advance based on their experience.
There are various types of corporate finance, and specific types of fund-raising activities may be the focus of certain careers. Corporate finance jobs could be solely focused on merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. Investment bankers in these positions work with corporate executives to determine the best way to finance deals, such as with equity or debt, and what a company’s or asset’s proper valuation should be.
M&A bankers may devote months or even years to a single transaction. Offering advice to companies that may be reorganizing a business following a bankruptcy is one of the corporate finance jobs for bankers in restructuring. These banking professionals may guide corporate executives through bankruptcy filings, court proceedings, and turnaround strategies in order to keep their businesses running.
Analysts may be assigned to rate events after corporate executives announce a restructuring or lay the groundwork for a capital-raising event in the financial markets. Analyst jobs in corporate finance could include rating a transaction after it has occurred or even changing a company’s rating based on expected deals. For example, if a company goes through reorganization and is expected to issue debt to fund operations, a financial analyst’s job might be to anticipate this money-raising event by scouring regulatory documents and then issuing or changing a rating on that entity or the deal itself. An analyst’s rating of an issuer can influence shareholder activity in a given investment.