Corporate bankers often carve out niche areas of expertise depending on the sector they focus on so corporate bankers target different industries. For instance, those servicing energy, mining or utilities companies might be project finance experts working out the business case for funding a new power plant or mine.

Junior corporate bankers, at the bottom end, often start out as credit analysts, assessing company balance sheets and deciding whether or not to issue loans. They may also experience accompanying senior sales and relationship staff as they attempt to sell products to corporate customers.

Senior corporate banking roles are more client-focused with senior corporate bankers being either business development managers, who attempt to bring in new customers, or relationship managers, who look after existing clients. Both positions involve wining and dining chief executives and finance officers, and offering technical advice on a company's financing and cash flow needs.

Relationship managers are assisted by a support team which deals with their day-to-day banking requirements. If a company needs to raise finance, the relationship management team will provide transaction and structuring advice.

Alternative banking careers include risk / credit assessment jobs, product roles (designing banking products to solve clients' problems), and in operations or treasury management (the administration of currencies, cash flows and debt).

While some of the product types in corporate and commercial banking may seem a bit vanilla to an investment banker, there are certainly a lot of them.

The money-lending function, for example, has several forms, including short-term loans, overdrafts, and term loans.

Foreign currency accounts, term deposits rates, online and mobile banking and commercial credit cards are typically cash management products and services.

Corporate banks help international companies manage their cross-border businesses by providing trade finance, and also trade services such as banker's guarantees and documentary collections.

Corporate banking also includes a treasury services department which aims to protect businesses cashflows from market volatilities through hedging instruments, including FX forwards and options.

They accept money on term deposit and are also involved in processing payments by way of telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, internet banking, or other means.