Want to land a career in finance? Our interactive guide shows you how

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

A career in finance offers many benefits: It tends to pay well, is prestigious, and can lead to a jet-setting lifestyle. Breaking in, however, can require years of toil, planning, and determination.

Say you want to be an investment banker who advises tech giants on corporate acquisitions: You will probably want to start applying for internships in your sophomore year of undergrad. Getting an internship, meanwhile, may mean getting into the right campus clubs as early as freshman year.