Bankers might get a barrel load of bad press but it's not stopping lots of you wanting to become one. Or so the popularity of last year's Q&A on routes into banking suggested. Our expert panel was inundated with questions from graduates and job-hunters keen to get their foot in the financial door.
But once you've bagged your first banking job, what next? "You'll achieve that sense of stature/As your influence expands/To the high financial strata," sang Mr Banks at the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank in Mary Poppins.
But climbing the famously slippery ladder is easier said than done, particularly when the industry itself is still picking up the pieces post credit-crunch.
Thankfully, the forecasts aren't all doom and gloom. The Financial Times reported on Friday that London's banks are weathering the stock market storm and Metro Bank continues to expand across the UK with its promise of a new model in banking customer service.
So, from high street to investment banking, from hedge funds to asset management, to help you navigate the next move, we've assembled a fresh panel of industry insiders ready to answer your questions. Join our live Q&A on Thursday, 12 May, from 1pm.
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Our panel:
Martin Day is vice-principal of the ifs School of Finance, responsible for the overall provision of its higher education and executive development programmes and the learning objectives of students and employer organisations.
Simon Dixon is founder of the Benedix, a training and consultancy for students and graduates seeking careers in banking and finance. He started his investment banking career as a tea boy at stockbrokers TD Waterhouse, before joining KBC Peel Hunt first on the trading floor, then in its corporate finance division.
Jonathan Evans is chairman of Sammons Associates, an international search firm specialising in financial services. With over 30 years recruitment experience, he has placed investment bankers up to CEO level with both large global firms and smaller integrated firms and also has extensive contacts in hedge funds.
Stacey Nicholl is director of banking and financial services at Communicate Recruitment Solutions and specialises in placing mid to senior finance, change, strategy and treasury professionals into banking, commerce and industry and consulting firms.
Richard Webber is director of the financial services department at Twenty Recruitment Group. He specialises in retained and contingent recruitment assignments forleading investment banks, hedge funds and asset management firms.
Huw Davies is head of personal banking, sales and marketing for Triodos Bank. Prior to joining Triodos, Huw worked for 11 years at Nationwide Building Society.
Katherine Savage is head of reward at The Co-operative Financial Services. Katherine has spent the majority of her HR career working within investment banking in global companies such as Barclays, HSBC and Bank of America.
Amanda Barrett works within executive and leadership development at Lloyds Banking Group. Amanda has worked as a learning professional for more than 25 years, and has experience in developing leadership capability across the group.
Jo Phillips is an account manager at recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark. Jo has worked within the banking and financial services team at Badenoch & Clark for more than 10 years. Her teams recruit for both temporary and permanent positions within banking and financial services institutions and Jo manages client relationships at a senior level.
Jennifer Mallon is a relationship manager at Chartered Banker Institute and has more than 22 years experience within the financial services sector. Jennifer is responsible for working with banks and the wider financial services industry to help improve standards of professionalism.
Ana Barbosa is graduate development manager at HSBC. Ana is responsible for recruiting and developing graduates into one of the UK graduate programmes - Technology and Services - and manages the placement year programme, which offers final year students a year of work experience.
Jessica Ball is graduate recruitment and development manager at
HSBC. Jessica manages the European Management Trainee programme and Summer Internship programmes.
