What does it take to be an investment banker?

I'm thinking of going to get my MBA and trying to decide what to specialize in. I have no work experience in Finance, I have been working in a creative industry for the last four years. I am willing to work all the long hours and am a fast learner. People who I've worked for say that I'd be extremely good with numbers, and am very analytical.

The only problem is that I'm a relatively quiet and introverted person. I don't enjoy sales-type stuff. Does this totally disqualify me from the i-banking industry? Are there any other areas in the industry where I could work and still recieve some of the monetary benefits?

The MBA degree would definitely be helpful. Be sure to follow up on alumni, and start learning more about the career.

To be an investment banker (corporate finance/M&A professional) you'll need three things in particular:

1) Attention to detail. When you're working on financial models, this is the first thing you'll need to take care of before getting to the analysis and discussion.

2) Teamplayer Mindset. Because you'd be staffed on deal teams, anticipating needs from coworkers will help out in developing your role as an analyst.

3) A Great Attitude. Working on pitchbooks in the early hours of the morning requires good focus and a real understanding of what it takes to do well in this industry. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Other areas include trading, research. Try this quiz for an idea about other roles that could suit your skill set:
http://www2.goldmansachs.com/careers/lea...