Sarah Carter, director, corporate finance, Lazard

I considered careers in both law and consultancy as well as banking, but chose banking because there seemed to be more opportunities for early responsibility - the emphasis on contributing to the business straight away rather than passing exams was attractive. I wasn't necessarily 100 per cent sure that I'd pursue a long-term career in banking, but I was confident that it would give me a good grounding in the City and business more generally. My advice to students is to be aware that investment banking covers a wide range of departments and products other than obvious areas such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Motivated people will find an area that is right for them.