Private banking can provide a very diverse role. At one end it might involve advising relatively unsophisticated clients on simple cash deposits. At the other extreme, it can mean looking after the financial affairs of a complicated offshore trust that might include long term investments such as equities, bonds, hedge funds, private equity, real estate and commodities.

The financial markets provide an exciting and interesting backdrop that is highly relevant to everyday life, something not always so apparent in a legal role. Private clients themselves are as diverse as the population itself, helping to make the job so fascinating as well as, at times, demanding and sometimes frustrating. The factor that is common to all private clients is the existence of wealth that needs to be looked after or managed in some way.

Otherwise, you are dealing with and trying to meet the needs of people with very different requirements and perceptions. The potential solutions that might suit a specific client's objectives can be equally diverse, allowing great scope to be creative.

Successful private bankers tend to be very flexible and committed to providing a high level of personal service. Unlike the law, any pertinent deadlines tend to be flagged up well in advance, so private bankers generally retain a high degree of control over their lives.