| Envision yourself sitting across the desk from Steve | | | | departments provide a vast wealth of experience. |
| Jobs and being asked to justify your latest strategic | | | | You may find yourself negotiating the terms of loans |
| acquisition in the touchscreen space. It may seem like | | | | with commercial banks, working on securities |
| a dream job but it is not outside of the realm of | | | | offerings and acquiring and divesting businesses. |
| possibility. In a fierce battle with Google, Apple is | | | | The working culture in an Apple or Google, or any |
| picking up the pace of its acquisitions. Last year, | | | | progressive workplace today, will be remarkably |
| Apple brought in its first dedicated M&A person, | | | | different from the long shifts put in at investment |
| Goldman Sachs' Adrian Perica. Other acquisitive mobile | | | | banks. Google will even allow you to work on your |
| players include Nokia and Rim. | | | | own projects, for a small percentage of your time, |
| Young investment bankers often overlook | | | | although if it is not related to helping the search giant |
| opportunities in corporate M&A. As investment | | | | finance its next play, your tenure may be shortened. |
| banks gear up for a more aggressive hiring season | | | | The average deal size is smaller but more are getting |
| corporate M&A can provide invaluable | | | | done, which is why corporate finance departments |
| experience. As recent news reports confirm, | | | | need you. Do not eschew entry level positions. |
| investment banks are first hiring back seasoned Wall | | | | Research assistants and analysts positions are open. |
| Street deal makers who can immediately add value. | | | | There is unlimited potential to tap into the growing |
| You may lose out on a job due to their experience | | | | M&A market. In the first quarter of 2010, $16 |
| but why not work with these seasoned pros on the | | | | billion in deals were sitting in the M&A pipeline, |
| other side of the deal? | | | | according to PriceWaterhouse, representing 344 deals |
| Corporate M&A jobs provide an opportunity to | | | | versus 21 at the same time the year before. |
| work with experienced investment bankers but | | | | Consider starting your search in the technology |
| rather than court them for jobs they will be chasing | | | | sector, which is the most active M&A sector |
| after your business. They are more likely to view and | | | | today. It could be a lot of fun. Cloud computing, |
| treat you as a colleague sitting across from them in a | | | | mobile, gaming and virtualization technologies are |
| board room - even if you are just taking notes for | | | | being swallowed up. The resource sector is also |
| your boss -- than the summer underling doing the | | | | active. Do not overlook financial services. Stocked full |
| grunt work on deals. | | | | of M&A experts from Wall Street and well |
| Following the recession, many companies have hit a | | | | positioned to capitalize from an M&A boom, |
| limit in terms of organic growth, having rationalized | | | | boutique banks are acquiring boutique banks. In your |
| operations through cost cutting and efficiency | | | | search for a corporate M&A position, you may |
| improvements. They are lean and seeking growth | | | | land your dream job in investing banking after all. |
| opportunities through acquisitions. Corporate finance | | | | |