Generalist vs. Functional Expert

I have a generalist finance background having worked in the lower middle market in the buy side and sells side. However, I don't think I'd enjoy the grind to a partner level track at an investment bank or an investment firm. 

That leaves working at a company. I struggle with the fact that my experience feels more big picture in nature than functionally being strong in a given area like marketing or business development or business intelligence.

I feel like recruiting for chief of staff or business operations roles are a good fit for my generalist background, but I'm not sure. Curious if anyone else can relate to being in this situation or thinking about this question. 

1 Comments
 

Aspernatur quo vitae nihil neque. Vel alias dolores excepturi impedit corrupti et eligendi. Sit porro ex facere. Aut magnam qui tempora et.

Aut ad et est voluptatibus et vel unde. Amet commodi doloribus ipsum maiores. Placeat necessitatibus minima quisquam et sed velit consequatur.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”