Interesting hypothetical that me and a few buddies talked about this weekend. It is the following: if you could have your dream pedigree (school/job) OR your dream girl, which one would you pick? Assume for the sake of the hypo that you would be "average" in the other area. My friends and I were about evenly split on this one. Curious to see what the WSO monkeys think about this.
| +89 | GF doesn’t care about her looks | 57 | 3h | |
| +59 | Affair with my Associate… In Desperate Need for Advice | 23 | 1d | |
| +49 | How to sound more eloquent? | 17 | 11h | |
| +38 | 400k/year in HVAC sales? | 26 | 1d | |
| +33 | WSO Ranking On Resume??? | 8 | 3h | |
| +33 | Would you rather live alone in an outer borough or with roommates in Manhattan? | 23 | 2d | |
| +28 | Why do people listen to Jim Cramer Investing Advice? | 11 | 1h | |
| +27 | Carnivore Diet | 12 | 4h | |
| +26 | Is my boss gaslighting me? | 3 | 1d | |
| +23 | Chaotic Insane investment banker who passed away in the 90s or 2000s | 12 | 1d |
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Unrelated, but curious: did you dump your girlfriend yet?
I will be hearing from the remaining b-schools this upcoming week, including the one that my gf is heading to. So I'll see what happens once the results are in.
dream girl > dream job, every single time
this
I'll take an average job if I can come home to Elizabeth Banks daily.
lol
haha, what the hell is your dream job???
If his dream girl is a 38-year-old reasonably attractive woman, his dream job is probably something like high school drama teacher, middle manager at a small auto parts manufacturer, or sales associate at Sears.
Elizabeth Banks? Never heard of anyone listing her as their dream girl. But to each his own.
But for me, Dream job > Dream girl.
Dream girls have a habit of becoming real.
Nick Cage: not welcome.
That's easy, dream girl - you can overcome pedigree with hard work and intelligence, dream girl is more of a luck question - i'd rather have luck there and work for the job.
depends how outrageous dream job is lol. if it can be running your own $1tn hf id rather do that.
if pedigree means HBS or some useless shit like that, then dream girl duh.
Well given that my dream woman is Jennifer Lawrence (I know I know, she's a bit overrated, but I'm somehow I'm extremely attracted to her and have been since I saw X-Men) who makes more money than I'd likely make even with a HBS degree, the dream woman scenario is much better option.
If we were to take "celebrity status" and money out of the equation, it becomes tougher. If dream woman literally meant someone who wouldn't cheat, possesses the ideal personality I'd want, etc. I'd honestly still probably take the dream woman scenario. Having worked for a bit and having spoken with lots of people, a lot of jobs that we perceive as being awesome don't necessarily end up being as fulfilling or exciting as one thinks. Even someone in corp dev (my dream career) told me that he only does what he loves about corp dev 45-50% of the time, and he was essentially at the top of the totem pole. If I had to wager, I'd rather bet my "happiness" so to speak on a person bringing me fulfillment in life than a job, so that's why I'd go with the woman.
Btw, that little stream of consciousness above isn't a knock on anyone in finance because there are also people, particularly in trading/hedge funds, who absolutely LOVE their jobs and find more joy from that than anything else. I'm merely speaking from my experiences and from the people who work in the fields that I am interested in.
Dream Job Easily
Take the job, get a dog, call an escort service.
If the broad isn't willing to make sacrifices for you to have your dream job, fuck her. There are 4 billion other women out there; they're all the same.
Does this go both ways? Would you be willing to make sacrifices for her?
"...4 billion other women....they're all the same" - little bit hyperbolic don't you think?
I agree man, way too much emphasis is put on women by us dudes. If you can find a great partner...fine. But keep in mind that we are not monogamous creatures by nature...so when you get served with divorce papers in 10 years from now...try to look at it through that lens. There's a great book called Sex at Dawn, that is all about this.
Also, General rule of thumb: Half of marriages end in divorce, 70% are initiated by women, and between 30-60% of marriages have infidelity going on (depending on the study/country). Everyone here on WSO is a special little snowflake though.
(Doesn't the whole "dream girl" thing assume that, well, we don't have to worry about divorce after ten years? He didn't say "dream job" vs. "trophy wife.")
Exactly. How about not getting married at all. If she likes you for the right reasons she'll stick around, otherwise there's the door.
Eh, the divorce rate for college-educated women who marry at age 25 or greater is only like 15%. The 50% divorce rate stat is very misleading.
Most people settle (but will never admit it).
So effectively the girl/guy becomes your dream girl/guy (curious how many girls are on this forum,
The dream job won't let your buddies rail her while you're working long hours, so I'll go with dream job.
(Why work long hours when you've already got the girl?)
A great girlfriend/wife will make you so much more happy than making partner at GS or something. Plus, they're a lot harder to find.
am i the only one whose dream job would involve being surrounded by all of my dream girls?
Maybe I should take some night classes in photography. Imagine living Mike Dowson's life (google him if you're curious...).
Dream girl and it's not even close.
Interesting you feel so strongly about this. What's your reasoning?
I can't believe the kids on here saying dream job. If you think it's your dream job, then you are absolutely delusional. It is dream girl 100% of the time and you can't even entertain the scenario of it being dream job if you have any semblance of priorities.
News flash to all the prestige whores on this thread:
Your "Dream Job"
It isn't going to confide in you and support you when you have to make difficult decisions.
It will not give you lasting joy or laugh with you for taking yourself too seriously.
It won't hold your hand while you watch your father battle cancer.
Your dream job will not dance with you at your wedding, or cry when your first child is born.
Your dream job will not tell friends and family that it is so happy to have you in its life.
It won't sacrifice for you so that you can pursue an alternative passion and it sure as hell isn't going to support you when you screw up.
It won't sit quietly with you while you watch sports on TV even though it is disinterested.
Your dream job won't forgive you if you lose sight of what is truly important and forget to put it first.
Your dream job is going to judge you harshly every day.
Your dream job will be perfectly fine with you feeding your own ego by pretending to know more than you do, acting more macho than you really are, and acting as if you are too cool to have an honest conversation because you are too immature to convey your own emotions, but once you grow out of that and acknowledge that you actually do have insecurities and you do have fears, your dream job isn't going to tell you that they understand you and accept them.
Your dream job is not patient, it is not kind. It envies, it boasts and it is proud. It doesn't care to honor others and is completely self-seeking. It is easily angered, and keeps a laundry list of your wrongs. It doesn't protect you, doesn't trust you, and fails to provide you with hope.
Your dream job is not going to love you unconditionally.
Sounds like a job description of every MD.
ME LIKE DREAM GIRL BETTER.
Okay, I'm not saying that you should live to work, and that you are your job. But c'mon...do you really believe what you are writing? What you wrote sounds like a fucking greeting card, or a Disney movie.
Even the best relationships take tons of work, and most are just mediocre at best. I think the key to happiness is being true to yourself and spending a lifetime pursuing your interests. If you're lucky enough have a partner that likes doing that stuff with you...great. But to think that a woman is the key to happiness, is going to leave you sorely disappointed.
You have made me feel so incredibly alone haha
This is great. +1
Wish I had a SB. The only ones saying dream job are idiots who've never worked.
Solid post, +1. Hearing all of the comments favoring dream job makes me a little sick. A job is an activity you perform in exchange for payment. Nothing less, nothing more.
Looking forward to your book (which I'm assuming must be in the works by now).
But, it will provide a home.
It will provide security.
It will provide money.
It will provide a purpose.
It will provide a means to an end.
It will provide a sense of purpose in life.(lol)
It will provide benefits.
It will not leave you for another man/woman.
It will not take 50% of your shit when you leave it.
It will not fade with time.
It will not bleed every ...lol jp
On a side note, love is just a strong emotional attachment to an object/idea. Love changes as you grow as a person. Divorce rates are fairly high in the USA, and when you are in your 20's you're still changing as a person and don't really know what you want in life.
Also, a job is just a job, some people actually want careers.
+1 Great Post. I tend do be a cynical person but I too believe a truly loving partner exists in this world
SBed
Dream girl no question about it
Dream job. Women are goods and you use money to acquire goods.
DUH.
My dream girl would be a $1 tn HF manager who looks like Kate Upton and worships me. That would solve everything.
Pedigree stays for life, women come and go
Dream girl (looks like Priyanka Chopra, acts like an in love puppy, fucks like a porn star, waits on me like my mom), move to a laid back place, drink, play guitar...
yea, dream girl for sure.
So, how does this work? We get the dream girl or the dream job, then we are left to pursue the other on our own?
If so, I'd go for the dream girl. I am better at nailing interviews than women.
LOL I love the last line, this is so true for the majority of people here. Not for me though, I've read "The Game" and am a pick up artist, no biggie.
In all seriousness, dream girl beats out dream job. If even your dream girl fails to satisfy you, you probably have something wrong/issues (assuming if you're into threesomes, she would be too since she's a dream girl.)
Dream job is so stupid. Realistically, in this profession, how long is one job going to be a dream job? Your buddy brags about his gig and suddenly that'll become your dream job?
The fact that your buddies and you split down the middle on this shows that you need new buddies.
Dream girl over any job in the world.
Wow. Harsh bro, given that you don't know my friends.
Girl. /end thread. I get (and admittedly am) a prestige whore, but this just shows a whole mess of getting your priorities straight. (granted, I am also assuming I am my dream girl's dream man and it will work -- if it was questionable, maybe job).
And to everyone saying "Dream Job wont leave you and take half your shit", I think the idea is if it's your Dream Girl, she probably wouldn't divorce you.. If we're assuming that the Dream Girl will divorce you in ten years, couldn't we also say that the Dream Job may cut you loose after a few years as well?
My dream job would be a professional baseball player, but I'd still much rather have the girl
Based on my experience, attaining your "dream job" is much more difficult than landing a "dream girl." I meet and interact with women very easily and I'm a bit spoiled in that aspect. On the other hand I know it's going to take a TON of work to get to where I need to be in my career...so for me, dream job.
I'm at a point in my life where I'm focused on attaining my career goals more than settling down with a woman, and once I get to a point where I'm satisfied that I'm going in the right direction, I'll turn my attention towards finding a partner. Landing a dream job now would just expedite the process!
huge dick > dream job > dream girl. Literally anything >>>>> dream pedigree... assuming of course you're going for like a "prestige" type of thing with your use of pedigree
You all realize there are several issues in this overall post.
1) I don't know the posters here but can safely assume "most" of the people are in their very early twenties. They haven't spent much time in the "real" world or experienced an extensive relationship with someone while in the "real" world and all the issues that come with it. I don't count college relationships the same because the issues of work, money management, career goals, families, etc. aren't issues the same way.
This skews perceptions of dream job vs dream girl.
2) Most of the people posting have fallacious ideas of what their "dream job" is actually like. I've done previous IBD, PE, & ER internships & now am in research at a HF. In no way would I say I fully understand the entire capacity of those positions for an extended period of time. Some jobs aren't all they are cracked up to be especially if you aren't at the right firm or it just doesn't simply meet your expectations.
3) From a personality side it is easier to cognitively perceive what a "dream girl/guy" is like as you can amalgamate traits from other individuals you have met through your life. But finding one of those in adulthood while managing your career (assuming the "dream" person is ok with the lifestyle) is a task in itself.
4) What you want now can very easily change as you get older. Once again, most posters are really young - it is evident STAL & rufio are older posters. Perceptions & experiences r different.
5) I'm skeptical of anyone that calls themselves a "lady's man" as some have. (That is irrelevant to the rest of this post).
6) I'm almost 100% sure everyone here is male, I'm curious if females might feel different. I'm not sure if that matters all that matters all that much though.
7) It is evident most people here don't have their "dream job" & I'm willing to bet their responses might be different if they possessed it for an extended period of time.
8) Hard work & luck will can get an individual both their "dream job" & "dream girl" but the idea of a "dream job" is more tangible in my mind. Most people have an idea of what it is & where it exists. The "dream girl" on the other hand might not exist based on desired qualities or more realistically might not be attainable the same way the job is. (ex. victoria secret supermodel with big paycheck & willing to do anything for you, any other caricature of a "dream girl")
Lol at anyone saying dream job over dream girl...you need to get your priorities straight
dream girl ....its hard to find someone you really click with, especially if you're in a dumpy place like NYC which is full of vile, narcissistic women in general.
I hear LA is a plastic haven.
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