University

A target is a university banks recruit from on purpose: presentations on campus and alumni already in the analyst class. The list is short in every country, and on the continent it is often the master's, not the bachelor's, that the banks are recruiting from.

1. The list
2. What the data says
3. Country by country
4. From outside the list

For banking, a pre-experience master's is bought for access - to the recruiters, the internship process and a better name on the CV - far more than for what it teaches. That is a fine reason to do one, as long as it is the reason you are paying for, and as long as the calendar lets you use it.

1. What it buys
2. The calendar problem
3. The programmes, one by one
4. Reading the placement numbers
5. What the rankings measure

The CFA is the certification people ask about, and it is built for investment management rather than for deal work. The exams a banker actually needs are licences - in New York the bank sponsors them after hiring, and London's nearest equivalent is the CISI's Certificate in Corporate Finance.

1. The CFA
2. The US licences
3. The UK equivalent
4. What to do before the job