BNP Paribas, Corporate & Investment banking

What did you know about BNP Paribas prior to working for us?

I knew the firm was a European powerhouse with a growing presence in the Americas. I was attracted by the opportunities for growth within my group and product area as well as in the business at large. Since joining, I’ve found that the responsibilities, opportunities and rewards depend on individual performance – there isn’t a cookie-cutter, standardised approach.

What made you decide to join your particular business area?

Equity derivatives are fascinating as they combine the fundamentals of equity markets with more esoteric and quantitative considerations. In Strategic Equity Solutions, we’re involved in Sales, Trading and Investment Banking. Our desk is lean and our client list is long, so an entrepreneurial mindset and plenty of motivation are key to winning business and meeting client needs.

Describe an average day.

As an Associate on a Sales desk, I support more senior marketers by helping to structure and execute trades. I arrive in the morning and review cash trading execution orders for the day with my trader. Prior to the market opening, I receive additional orders from clients executing orders over the day. Throughout the day, we work on our marketing effort. This includes doing research to find out which companies will execute share buybacks, following up with bankers on existing relationships, speaking with clients and preparing presentation materials. There may also be live deals in play that require maintenance. Towards the end of the day, we provide trading recaps to clients.

How would you describe your training and development?

I gained early responsibility, working immediately with traders and clients to execute deals. There are plenty of formal learning opportunities too, such as the Analyst/Associate training programme and many other courses offered throughout the year. But for me, the best learning experience was sitting with my Managing Director to review and learn how and why certain structured trades are executed.

How would you describe the culture and working environment?

It is very entrepreneurial and client-driven. As a firm, there’s a constant need to grow and outpace the competition. This translates into a personal need to grow quickly and take on increasing responsibility. I enjoy the highly exposed learning environment.

Is there anything that you find particularly challenging?

In addition to the economic and financial impact of deals, there are legal, tax and accounting nuances that can make or break a deal. It is challenging to understand deals from all of these perspectives.

And where do you see your future?

My aspirations include working in one of our international offices to help build our existing platform in other regions.

Finally, what advice would you give to someone thinking of joining us?

Talk to as many BNP Paribas employees as possible, especially those that are alumni from your old school. Find out why they decided to join and how they view the pros and cons of the firm and the industry. Be passionate about something during the interview process and be able to back it up. If you have a quantitative background but no finance experience, then tell your story. If your quantitative background is limited but you’ve followed the markets, then convince people that you want to be here.

Working at BNP Paribas is an opportunity to work at a bank that will grow as you grow. At the same time, the organisation has a strong and respected international platform.