Before they even start working 80-hour weeks, graduates sense tougher times in investment banking, and either by choice or necessity, some are already planning careers elsewhere.
Financial companies have slashed at least 70,000 jobs in the United States and Europe as a result of the credit crisis, making students uneasy as they face the reality of a sector which looks more bruising and less lucrative than a year ago.
Banking has been a popular choice among graduates in recent years. Five of the top 30 most desirable recruiters in Europe are banks, with Deutsche Bank leading the pack, according to a 2007 survey of some 40,000 students by Berlin-based research firm Trendence.
Although there is no evidence to suggest graduates are turning away en masse, universities are concerned for next year's intake and, with banks such as Citigroup and Bear Stearns cutting jobs, some students are less keen.
"The more I met people from the investment banking sector, the less I liked what I saw," said 21-year-old Marion Deneuville, a London School of Economics student who investigated jobs with large investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Merrill Lynch.
"You used to be able to move up to the next level in a bank after three to five years, but that's not guaranteed now, they are letting people go.
"It's always been incredibly competitive and now it's even harder. The perks, like big expense accounts to balance out the 80-hour weeks, are gone."
Instead, she has opted for a consultancy job.
Another student at a top European school is back on the job market after having a job offer from Bear Stearns withdrawn in the middle of exams.
"You would have thought there would be some loyalty to the individual, but it really isn't the case in this sector," said the student, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their employment prospects. "No one went out of their way to let us know what was going on."
Investment bankers are an elite corps who can reap huge fees by helping clients raise money via issues of stocks and debt and advising on mergers and acquisitions.
"There is no possible career, with the exception perhaps of private equity and hedge funds . where you can make as much money as you can on the Wall Street," said author and former investment banker Bill Cohan at a discussion on compensation in financial firms earlier this year.
But with financial institutions suffering at least $300 billion of write-downs, losses and credit provisions since mid-2007, they are now cutting back on the perks.
Some have reduced cell phone subsidies or car vouchers and banned business class travel for some divisions. Many in banking expect pay packages will also fall.
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