The banking sector is misrepresented as a place of stable careers where everyone gets a decent bonus and lots of "glamour". I have seen many come and go, some fresh grads, some careers switches.

To those who want to be in the front office, i.e sales or trading.
1) Consumer Banking sales is the easiest route, most start from a mass market personal banker, some move on to privilege banking and a few step into the gates of private banking. There are many success stories of retail bankers bringing in huge dollars, I know a privilege banker who drives a Ferrari.

2) FI sales/ Equity or FX derivative sales/ Commodity Derivative Sales/ Fixed Income Sales etc - Selling to institutional clients, mostly foreign banks domain. They look for people with decent grades or have recommendation. In most of these sales role, its will definitely be a bonus if you are a attractive looking female specimen, as most counter-parties will be male.

3)Sales Trader/ Execution Trader/ Proprietary Trader - Sales trader are mostly well connected and already have a network of institutional clients. Execution Traders in private banks dont normally take fresh graduates and most of these traders have at least 3-5 years of dealing experience on their books. Proprietary Traders - In big foreign banks, they are extremely selective of who they take to be a junior trader, competition for that empty table on the trading floor is extremely stiff. You have to be academically good, might even need a masters, have to show you have good mathematical skills or programming knowledge. If you think just because you traded on the singapore equity market and made some small profit you have what it takes, sorry to burst your bubble. Most of the junior traders I know are not even singaporeans, and those that are, most dont even attend Local universities.

If anyone is thinking banking and finance is all about trading stocks and investing, thats nowhere close to what banking is about. FX is a much bigger business for the banks for that matter.

The bank is a very diverse place, where there are a huge variety of roles, CHOOSE WISELY!