They make buy and sell recommendations to the bank and to the customers of the bank on what investments to buy or sell. As firms have become more involved in international markets, investment banks have responded by increasing their presence in the international finance area. People working in this area provide the services of the bank to firms in these emerging markets. The market for municipal bonds is very large and the market needs analysts, advisors and traders. This field is hard to get into, but is projected to grow.
Public financing is one way to answer how a city or county can build buildings or arenas.
Individual investors deal with investment bankers through their retail brokerage operation. Dealing with the general public calls for good communiation skills as the people in this field attempt to see stock, bonds, insurance, and other financial products. In this area investment banks evaluate bonds of all types. They try to predict the likelihood of the bond meeting its payment schedule. Investment banking calls for high motivation and a willingness to take risks.