A rant of an average person
We hear of these people going to IB, PE, MD, while having studied at Harvard with a 4/4 gpa and EC going through the roof. What about the average people who are as ambitious but have grades barely above average because his brain was not made of platinum, can’t join clubs because they couldn’t pass the 10 interview process or they don’t have HF mentors to show them how to model or crazy networks. They don’t have people in their family who succeeded and so no role models. It’s easy to blabber on that one guy who worked hard and was able to do it but what about the rest..
Life is unfair, very unfair.
Yes, life is unfair. You mention people not getting good grades because their brain is not made of platinum- should someone be pissed because they can't make it into the NBA since they are 5'7 and can't jump? If you were a stellar intellect, how would you feel about losing a job to someone with a less-than-stellar intellect because "fairness"? People get dealt different hands.
I'm waking up to the reality of nepotism in the world- you hear about it, but don't see it until you get to a certain level. I'm starting to see the same last names pop up all over town- in PE, wealth management, companies, boards of companies, charities. Their kids all go to the same high schools, they are all part of the same country clubs, attend each others cocktail parties. Someone might get enraged at this and say the game is rigged, but my thought is that in their shoes I would do the exact same thing- try to set my kids up for success, work with the people I trust the most, help those who help me.
My focus is to help my kids be dealt a better hand than I was. All "old money" was new at some point. Being angry about it leads nowhere except to being a blue haired fatty, screeching about things that won't be changed by the people who have no incentive to change them.
"All old money was once new" couldn't agree more. The "system" (whatever that is exactly) isn't "fair" but DOES allow someone with piss-poor Mr. Nobody last name to climb the ranks, and thus position their progeny for future success-this shit ain't linear it's cyclical and that's the mindset to have.
Agreed- the odds of me becoming a billionaire are nil, the odds of me making it into one of the top exclusive country clubs in town are low. But I'm going to give my kids the things I didn't have: a financially comfortable enough upbringing where they won't feel intimidated by those with money (ie they can dress well, know what decent restaurants and vacations are like, learn golf, etc), a decent professional network in town, enough of a safety net that they can pursue moonshots without being ruined.
One of my MBA classes was on wealth management and family offices- one of my favorite classes in the program. Wealthy families think in terms of generations, not just decades or their own lifetime. That is the view I'm trying to take. It instills a sense of purpose and duty
I won't be doing the same as a parent. My goal is to raise happy kids with good morals and a strong Christian background. If I can accomplish that, I could care less if they are a plumber, elementary school teacher, or investment banker.
If you are setting up your kids entire lives for banking, law, PE, and a world of materialism, I don't think that's necessarily healthy. It's certainly not incompatible with good morals, but you have to ask yourself what you're teaching them to value in this world. Guide them to the good life in their principles and life lessons, not toward the good life in terms of materialism, wealth, and influence.
I think you're extrapolating a lot from me saying "set my kids up for success". I grew up lower middle class- my dad made just enough that my mom could stay home and home school, but we drove beat up cars, lived on the blue collar side of town, got zero help paying for college and I expect zero inheritance. I also bought my own clothes through high school, and we were nearly ruined in '08. My siblings and I were pretty scarred by '08, and it's caused us to always worry about money. I picked my career path mostly based on money- not from a maximization approach, but a fear approach. So when I say I want to set my kids up for success, I too want to give them a strong work ethic and morals, but also the freedom to not have a "fear" mindset with money. And I want to give all the intangibles- access to my network, general polish acquired from exposure to successful people, etc.
Bump, comment above sums it up
Bruh most IB Analysts are average as fuck in most regards, outside of being competitive and self-starters.
I wasn't even considered one of the smart ones in my friend group, if anything I was the most degenerate. But a year into state college I realized I wanted to make money and have options when I graduated so I finally applied myself for the first time in my life and was amazed at how easy it was to pass classes with As and transfer to a Top 20 school. It really is just a matter of drive and being resourceful, which is why I can't feel that bad when somebody complains that they hate their job and feel it's beneath them.
TL;DR life sorts people where they belong, not where they want to be.
How can you be ambitious but have bad grades?
If we are being honest, high school in America is incredibly easy.
Unless your parents are losers and you have to work in high school or take care of your sibling or something, there’s really no excuse for poor grades, so if that’s what you earned you can’t really call yourself ambitious.
..
a minority.
100%. The majority of kids of the US middle class who are unsuccessful and resentful to the world - have no one to blame but themselves for not studying harder than the guy sitting next to them.
Life isn’t fair. Never has been, never will be. It doesn’t take a genius to be a banker or PE associate. You say you’re as ambitious as the people getting these roles but what are you doing to get one? You can continue to whine about your circumstances or you can work to change them. And all the roles you mention work 70+ hour work weeks. Are you putting in even 40 hours a week in interview prep, networking, etc.? I doubt it. And no one expects you to do that, but if you’re truly as ambitious as you say, you would be doing it.
The whole reason anyone ever discusses "that one guy who worked hard and was able to do it" is precisely because on some level even the most indifferent observer can see the difficulty of their achievement.
Look, if you want it, you need to work for it. If you don’t have nepotism on your side, then you need to hustle and grind. I come from a lower middle class background with zero connections. I worked 24/7 to get great grades and scholarships to stand out because no one is going to hire average. You need to prep like hell for interviews to stand out. There is mo reason why you can’t shine technically if you are prepared. You need to network your ass off and not give up if you want this. So whining and feeling sorry for yourself. You have more control over your outcome if you put the work.
I'm the child of two ministers. I grew up dirt poor in a rural town but made it to NYC and broke into IB at a BB. Life isn't fair, but I believe our system allows for people like me to achieve their goals if they put their head down and grind. Best of luck OP.
Such a soyboy moment. Man up and play the hands that you've been dealt instead of crying on some forum to bored bankers. Life is unfair, there is nothing you can do about it mate
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