Game Changer for Junior Bankers?

In a world where business and political headlines are increasingly dominated by discussion around how AI will impact white collar jobs, it is understandable that students and graduates can range from overwhelmed to pessimistic as they think about their future careers. 

Joining the workforce for the first time has always been intimidating, but the rate of change and uncertainty has amplified that further in recent years. 

In this article, however, I will make the case for why graduates should be optimistic about what is to come, and why people should be more enthusiastic than before to join an investment bank.

Why Go Into Investment Banking?

It's been a decade since I applied for my first investment banking internship. When my friends and I applied as students, it seemed the most obvious starting point for our careers for the following reasons: 

• It was a great training ground for learning about businesses and finance  

• You got real exposure to decision makers and business leaders from day one

• You learnt about discipline and work ethic

• You had the chance to progress up the pyramid to a lucrative career

• It left many doors open for you to pursue a range of careers, from buyside (private equity, private credit, hedge funds) to entirely new spaces such as joining a start up or moving into the public sector / politics

All of these statements remain true in the age of AI.

What has changed, however, is the ability to realise more value earlier in your career and accelerate your trajectory faster than any previous cohort. And that is where the real excitement lies for junior bankers today.  

Earlier Responsibility, Faster Learning for Junior Analysts

One of the immediate effects of AI in banking is that teams become more productive as a whole. Contrary to the headlines, this is  not because roles disappear, but because capacity increases for existing teams. Tasks that once absorbed hours like updating pitch decks, reconciling data, reworking drafts can now increasingly be handled by AI agents.

The result for a junior banker is more time learning about the things that matter to their team and this leads to more exposure - the concept that will eventually get you promoted.

An important distinction with AI agents is that they help complete tasks but still need the junior to have a full understanding of what they are doing and why they are doing it. When an AI agent takes on the manual and time-intensive parts of the work, juniors don’t disengage from the objective. They still need to understand the goal, think through how the work should be approached, and apply judgment so the agent’s work is usable. What changes is where their time goes - instead of performing the tasks, they are orchestrating and validating them.

If they can effectively get AI to do more of the repetitive grunt work, juniors will naturally work on more deals. Instead of being siloed, they will see a wider range of deals moving from introduction to closure. They may also find themselves working on higher level tasks earlier in their tenure.

Learning How to Think, Not Just What to Do

One of the most underappreciated benefits of AI is its role as a learning tool.

In an AI-native environment, reasoning becomes visible. While it’s very difficult to understand how a seasoned MD thinks about a deal or the latest client interaction, juniors can have a window into at least some of that reasoning with AI. They can compare their own logic with the AI’s logic and with the logic of more senior team members. They can test assumptions, talk through comparables, consider alternatives, and understand why one approach holds up better than another.

This creates a fundamentally different learning dynamic. Instead of waiting for feedback at the end of a process, learning happens during the work. Thought processes are refined in real time and this could be very valuable to a junior. But there are many things AI will not know and eventually you will need to ask a senior colleague. And even the way juniors ask questions is changing. 

The Power of a Safe Space to Ask “Dumb” Questions

There is another shift happening that matters just as much as productivity, and it is cultural.

Junior bankers may hesitate when asking questions, especially in a group setting. No one wants to be the analyst who interrupts a conversation, exposes a gap in their basic understanding, or asks something they feel they should already know. Even in supportive teams, there is an unspoken pressure to appear competent at all times. As a result, many questions go unasked. 

AI changes that dynamic in a subtle way that helps juniors learn faster.

An AI agent offers a private, judgment free space to think out loud. Juniors can ask basic questions, rephrase them ten different ways, or challenge their own understanding without fear of embarrassment or reputational cost. 

That matters because many of the most important questions in banking start out sounding naive. Have we worked with this client before? What does this term mean? Why does this multiple make sense here but not there? What would be the likelihood of the deal closing if rates move up more than expected? These are not procedural questions, they are conceptual ones and juniors rarely have the chance to ask them. Of course, an intelligent AI agent can help with both procedural and conceptual questions on demand and act as both an educational tool and a sounding board.

With AI, especially a system that is context aware and enriched with relevant data, juniors can explore these questions effectively without reservations. 

AI does not replace mentorship but makes real mentorship more effective by removing the friction and anxiety that so often get in the way of learning. Juniors can feel like they are asking the right questions and build a foundation in private.

For junior bankers, that quiet shift alone is a game changer that could progress their career.

For Those Who Stay in Banking

For juniors who choose to build a long-term career in banking, the personal implications of an AI-native environment are very meaningful.

As AI takes on more of the manual, repetitive work, juniors are free to think creatively, spend more time working with people, away from the computer screen. There is a virtuous shift from building deliverables to building relationships. This shift benefits juniors in particular, as they train their EQ muscle by forming strong relationships with colleagues and speaking more often with clients. Not only is this the most enjoyable part of the job, but also the key to building softer interpersonal skills and growing within the organization.

Banking remains intellectually demanding. What AI changes is how quickly juniors can move toward the part of the job that most people find rewarding: meeting with clients, sharing ideas, participating in decisions, learning how to communicate at a high level, and adding meaningful value to the organization.

A Note of Advice for Junior Bankers or Those Considering Banking

The juniors most likely to succeed will be those who:

• Work hard and remain intentional about improving

• Use AI as a learning partner, not a one-off tool

• Take an AI-first approach while staying grounded in fundamentals

• Can articulate and demonstrate the value of AI to their team

For those entering investment banking now, the timing matters. This is an exciting time of big changes and can be used as an opportunity.

And for juniors willing to lean into it, it may be the best version of the role yet.

To learn more about the specifics of how each role in banking is benefiting from AI, read our latest whitepaper: Evolution of Investment Banking