When did you know?

So lately I've been thinking about what I want to do in life. Obviously something in finance but I just don't know what. I've done research on all the sectors but I keep jumping around with different ideas. One day I think being an analyst at a HF is my dream job, and the next day its doing something in IB or S&T. I did a one month internship at an boutique IB focusing in M&A so I know what to expect. Besides the fact that I was sexually harassed by my boss, I really enjoyed it and thought it was a great learning experience. I enjoy helping others, whether it be specific individuals or companies, achieve their financial goals. I guess almost any job in the finance world can relate to that but its just tough deciding which one to pursue.

So my question for you guys is, when did you realize what you were passionate about and why? And please don't say money and prestige. We already know those are two great perks but awful reasons to pursue a life long career.

p.s. This isn't a "help me" thread about how to answer the typical "why *insert financial sector here*?" interview question. I'm really curious as to where your guys heads were at when you finally figured it out.

Thanks!

 
Best Response

I don't think you should assume that people individually decided to end up where they are. Guess what buddy, nobody gives a shit about what you think you want to do. Unless you're very lucky, you don't get to choose where you end up in finance - you play your cards as they're dealt.

I originally took a job as an analyst in banking because they offered me more money than any other job I could have gotten out of college, and it was in NYC and II really wanted to fuck this one specific bitch who I knew was going to be in New York. I ended up in the group I ended up in, learned the skill set I leaned, and have continued to take the best opportunities that have been offered to me based on that skill set since then. Most people's stories about how they ended up where they are are more similar to that than something like "I knew I wanted to be a FIG DCM syndicate guy since I was a little kid and have been working toward that goal forever."

Like... Not only do kids tend to have absolutely no fucking idea what it means to do a given job in high finance, or even that those jobs exist - shit, I've been at it for a while and I don't even know what many groups in B/Ds do day to day. Finance is an enormous and largely opaque environment, what some college kid has "decided" they want to do based on whatever half-understood stereotype has clusterfucked its way into their brain most recently is totally irrelevant. You don't even begin to have the slightest idea of the difference between your dick and your asshole before you've spent some real time in l'abattoir.

And even if you did know what you were talking about as a college kid, it doesn't matter because nobody gives a fuck. In this world, you don't sit around and stroke your cock while the fucking cash fairies lay a smorgasbord of well-compensated job opportunities on your lap for you to choose from. People who think like that - people who think their desires matter to anyone else - get absolutely fucking slaughtered before they even get a chance to get off the ground, and they deserve to.

Welcome to the major leagues, buddy. This isn't some fucking hippy liberal arts college where a bunch of pussy ass unionized pigs are going to spend all day fretting over your personal development. You're going to fight for what you're given, and you're going to take the best opportunities that you manage to create for yourself. All that matters to your employers is what you can deliver to them, and all that should matter to you is how much paper they'll put in your pocket and how well your ass is covered. Your personal hopes and dreams don't fit into the equation.

So yeah... to actually answer your question - most people end up where they are because of a series of decisions they made in context, not a well developed long term plan.

 

I mean I know you don't pick and choose where you end up in life because shit happens, I was just wondering from a general perspective. Definitely appreciate your insight.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. - Abraham Lincoln
 

I'm a university student. I really don't care where I'll end up in Finance because I know at the end of the day, I'll kill it and make major moves. Doesn't matter if it's sell-side, buy-side, or whatever, everything's intrinsically tied together in some way or another, and my general passion for the field will allow me to succeed.

I mean, really... who dreams about working in a specific sector of Finance? Like the other guy said, you take what you can get. And just by doing that, you're already more successful than 95% of the world. Working in Finance leads me to a path of financial stability, which is what I desire the most out of anything. That's my dream... being financially secure and being able to do fuck all when I'm in my late-20s to early-40s.

 
Superlative:

I'm a university student. I really don't care where I'll end up in Finance because I know at the end of the day, I'll kill it and make major moves. Doesn't matter if it's sell-side, buy-side, or whatever, everything's intrinsically tied together in some way or another, and my general passion for the field will allow me to succeed.

I mean, really... who dreams about working in a specific sector of Finance? Like the other guy said, you take what you can get. And just by doing that, you're already more successful than 95% of the world. Working in Finance leads me to a path of financial stability, which is what I desire the most out of anything. That's my dream... being financially secure and being able to do fuck all when I'm in my late-20s to early-40s.

Your goal is to be well-off, which is fine. But that's why you don't care where you work. The deals and markets areas of finance are totally different. There are so many careers that are totally different day-to-day. I assume it's much easier to have passion for a specific area of finance. For instance, I love trading and I'd pretty much do it for free.

"Mr. Perkins poses an extreme risk to the market when drunk."
 
NYCbandar:

I don't think you should assume that people individually decided to end up where they are. Guess what buddy, nobody gives a shit about what you think you want to do. Unless you're very lucky, you don't get to choose where you end up in finance - you play your cards as they're dealt.

I originally took a job as an analyst in banking because they offered me more money than any other job I could have gotten out of college, and it was in NYC and II really wanted to fuck this one specific bitch who I knew was going to be in New York. I ended up in the group I ended up in, learned the skill set I leaned, and have continued to take the best opportunities that have been offered to me based on that skill set since then. Most people's stories about how they ended up where they are are more similar to that than something like "I knew I wanted to be a FIG DCM syndicate guy since I was a little kid and have been working toward that goal forever."

Like... Not only do kids tend to have absolutely no fucking idea what it means to do a given job in high finance, or even that those jobs exist - shit, I've been at it for a while and I don't even know what many groups in B/Ds do day to day. Finance is an enormous and largely opaque environment, what some college kid has "decided" they want to do based on whatever half-understood stereotype has clusterfucked its way into their brain most recently is totally irrelevant. You don't even begin to have the slightest idea of the difference between your dick and your asshole before you've spent some real time in l'abattoir.

And even if you did know what you were talking about as a college kid, it doesn't matter because nobody gives a fuck. In this world, you don't sit around and stroke your cock while the fucking cash fairies lay a smorgasbord of well-compensated job opportunities on your lap for you to choose from. People who think like that - people who think their desires matter to anyone else - get absolutely fucking slaughtered before they even get a chance to get off the ground, and they deserve to.

Welcome to the major leagues, buddy. This isn't some fucking hippy liberal arts college where a bunch of pussy ass unionized pigs are going to spend all day fretting over your personal development. You're going to fight for what you're given, and you're going to take the best opportunities that you manage to create for yourself. All that matters to your employers is what you can deliver to them, and all that should matter to you is how much paper they'll put in your pocket and how well your ass is covered. Your personal hopes and dreams don't fit into the equation.

So yeah... to actually answer your question - most people end up where they are because of a series of decisions they made in context, not a well developed long term plan.

I mean, everything you said is true. No one actually gives a fuck what you want, but I think that's all the more reason you need to figure out what you want specifically. You need to position yourself and seek out opportunities that'll help you get to where you want to be.

I mean, that's why the answer to just about everything on this forum is 'network.' In order to create opportunities for yourself, so you can go where you want to be.

 
NYCbandar:
GeneParmesan:

NYCbandar's post above deserves praise. Gene Parmesan approves.

Oh thank god, I was terrified that "Gene Parmesan," who I imagine is some sort of pervert that fucks wheels of hard cheese while referring to himself in the third person, was going to disapprove of my comment.

I guess thou have not heard of Arrested Development.

Oh NYCbandar, you blowhard!

 
NYCbandar:

I don't think you should assume that people individually decided to end up where they are. Guess what buddy, nobody gives a shit about what you think you want to do. Unless you're very lucky, you don't get to choose where you end up in finance - you play your cards as they're dealt.

I originally took a job as an analyst in banking because they offered me more money than any other job I could have gotten out of college, and it was in NYC and II really wanted to fuck this one specific bitch who I knew was going to be in New York. I ended up in the group I ended up in, learned the skill set I leaned, and have continued to take the best opportunities that have been offered to me based on that skill set since then. Most people's stories about how they ended up where they are are more similar to that than something like "I knew I wanted to be a FIG DCM syndicate guy since I was a little kid and have been working toward that goal forever."

Like... Not only do kids tend to have absolutely no fucking idea what it means to do a given job in high finance, or even that those jobs exist - shit, I've been at it for a while and I don't even know what many groups in B/Ds do day to day. Finance is an enormous and largely opaque environment, what some college kid has "decided" they want to do based on whatever half-understood stereotype has clusterfucked its way into their brain most recently is totally irrelevant. You don't even begin to have the slightest idea of the difference between your dick and your asshole before you've spent some real time in l'abattoir.

And even if you did know what you were talking about as a college kid, it doesn't matter because nobody gives a fuck. In this world, you don't sit around and stroke your cock while the fucking cash fairies lay a smorgasbord of well-compensated job opportunities on your lap for you to choose from. People who think like that - people who think their desires matter to anyone else - get absolutely fucking slaughtered before they even get a chance to get off the ground, and they deserve to.

Welcome to the major leagues, buddy. This isn't some fucking hippy liberal arts college where a bunch of pussy ass unionized pigs are going to spend all day fretting over your personal development. You're going to fight for what you're given, and you're going to take the best opportunities that you manage to create for yourself. All that matters to your employers is what you can deliver to them, and all that should matter to you is how much paper they'll put in your pocket and how well your ass is covered. Your personal hopes and dreams don't fit into the equation.

So yeah... to actually answer your question - most people end up where they are because of a series of decisions they made in context, not a well developed long term plan.

I don't want to encourage excess ego inflation, but this was a really solid post.

 
NYCbandar:

I originally took a job as an analyst in banking because they offered me more money than any other job I could have gotten out of college, and it was in NYC and II really wanted to fuck this one specific bitch who I knew was going to be in New York..

Did you seal the deal?

 

it means my boss, who was a guy, openly hit on me every single day. and I'm a guy as well. it got pretty weird to say the least.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. - Abraham Lincoln
 

Just look at requirements in senior finance roles and the nebnchmak that against our personal traits.

Some questions to get started:

Are you smart or hardworking? Do you care about the markets? Do you pref structure or freedom? Risk averse or risk loving? Do you order your college books neatly and use different highlighters? How do you feel about sales?

Wow this is a gay post lol

 

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"Mr. Perkins poses an extreme risk to the market when drunk."

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