Operational investment banker : Career development

Operational bankers’ careers can progress in a linear way - performing consistently well, leading to promotions that encompass more responsibility, such as people, project and budgetary responsibility. 

Continued success can lead to promotion into to senior management roles, although competition for these roles in high, and progression is likely to slow.

It is often possible to move, either temporarily or permanently, into project management or into a specialist role, such as IT or HR. Moving into these areas temporarily can provide a breadth and balance to a career, but may affect career progression in the short term.

Since the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, movement from operations into client-facing roles has become more commonplace, though still fairly rare as the skills sets required for these roles are very different.