Are any of you going into investment banking because of a slightly stronger interest in finance than any other field but coupled with a strong feelings of emptiness yet you proceed anyway despite knowing full well that this job won't do anything to fill that void besides the occasional ephemeral shot of joy? Anyone else feel this way? Don't waste your MS, this is a throwaway account.
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What's the alternative? That's the real question
This is exactly how I feel. You couldn't pay me to tell you a valid alternative.
What does everyone do who doesn’t go into IB? Do they all work at McDonald’s?
There are people outside of IB?
Every single day man. It´s like a hole that can´t be filled, no matter how often someone pours attention or money or shiny things into it. Don´t even know why I do it. Don´t even know why I didn´t just become a biochemist or a musician like I wanted as a kid. Don´t even know why I don´t just go hike the Jacob´s Trail or work for a think tank like I long dreamed. Don´t know man, it all just feels empty.
Matthew 11:28-30 :
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I always wanted to be a teacher. I know why I went into banking. I decided after working my ass off to get into one of my top schools (T25), I just didn't feel good about going into a slow paced, limited growth job like teaching. I mean how could I? After all that time and energy, how could I just throw it all away for a career I could have entered wit a tenth of the effort? Man the adrenaline is addicting. It's so addicting. I'm currently in a relationship but I just feel terrible about rarely spending time with her, but I would never fucking tell her how I actually feel about this work. Half the time I'm out of work I just have no energy. Honestly if it wasn't for the relationship (or the possibility of future ones) I don't think I could have the will to keep going. Don't get me wrong, Im not at all suicidal. I think Freddie Mercury said it best in that I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all and Nothing really matters, anyone can see..... Nothing really matters........ Nothing really matters.... to me. Any way the wind blows
Sorry for the rant lol. Got out early today and my drunk ass had to vent.
I am in investment banking because I had explored other options and it was the only thing left that I thought was remotely interesting to start out my career in. I would not say that I have "strong feelings of emptiness" though. Sure, certain projects get boring at times and seem meaningless, but I always seek out teams with people that are good at sharing their enthusiasm for what they do (which can be contagious). Nothing is worse than working on something nobody gives a shit about.
If investment banking hadn't worked out, I would likely have joined the French Foreign Legion.
I think many people come to realize this at some point in their careers. Some do something about it while others admit they're not happy and continue to live their lives. I recently realized banking and finance is something that I don't see a future in for myself both out of my inability in the future to be a good salesman and the fact that I don't see my work as meaningful to society. I am currently coming up with a plan to do a post-bacc to eventually apply to med school and become a doctor.
Is it me or is this forum experiencing more and more existential crisis? Is this with the assumption that other professions find fulfillment in their day-to-day from the "value" they generate?
Fortunately, my friend group touches a mass of different professions so I can comfortably say that even the most good-for-society professions question their contribution to the world:
Friend #1 does international development and is soaking over all her hard work for country X that ended up being nothing because that country's government doesn't care about democracy so her projects (and country focus) feels like it's going to waste.
Friend #2 in fashion has had 2 years of unpaid internships trying to break in with little to no luck and sees no way out. Working part-time jobs to support herself in the meantime but at the edge of giving up.
Friend #3 works at a non-profit but DEFINITELY feels like he contributes nothing because most of his work is stuck in office politics rather than making any real changes.
Worse yet, all 3 above make NYC/LA somehow. No one's life is better, we all question our existence, get the fuck off Instagram.
Saying that "no one's life is better" is just plain inaccurate. Do you really think there is no one in the world who finds fulfillment in their jobs? And if there is, then it is also possible for others to find that.
Just because there are people in all professions who question their contribution to the world, does not mean it is impossible for an individual to find a profession that suits them.
I think you're missing the point. What he's saying is that such an existential crisis can hit anyone in any industry - even ones who didn't decide to go into IB/CO and "pursued their dreams". People often have a grass is always greener mentality where they idealize certain aspects of other jobs without considering the full implications of what such a job actually entails.
It is amazing how much love this is getting. "No one's life is better" is beyond false. This is just self justification for the route you took. You use three anecdotal pieces of evidence to state that there is NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. Why even bother making an effort to find meaning? Why use your free time on weekends to do something objectively good and helpful to others (e.g. family, friends, people less fortunate, animals, etc.). The only reason there is so much support for this line of thought is because it is derived from the numerous other users who feel/live the same way, and believe that their life has no meaning. They want to believe that there was nothing they could have done differently, and that they are powerless and incapable of finding meaning in their own lives. There are so many people living below the poverty line capable of finding meaning and enriching their lives. My friends in the peace corps speak to this. Maybe you find no meaning because you live a self-serving lifestyle? Because you haven't tried? Finding meaning isn't like signing up for a couple college classes where you just try out a bunch of stuff and see what you like. It takes time, critical thinking, reflection, and considerable amounts of action over the course of years.
Missing the point... there are people that find meaning in whatever they do, and see the optimism and upside no matter where they go. There are also people that, no matter what they are doing and where they are, will be depressed and feel like their life and work has no meaning.
Most people are somewhere in the middle and muddle through whatever. Changing your external environment could be a catalyst for happiness but it's an indirect cause: the real driver of happiness or depression is internal.
Easily verified by traveling to other countries and noticing people are basically the same every fucking where. This generation is uniquely focused on "meaning" but is using a ridiculous yardstick for it via social media, which presents an impossible standard to live up to.
It's absolutely brutal, particularly for STEM majors that have been crushed by the H1B1 worker tsunami. These younger people took on massive student loans studying practical degrees with real demand and good pay but corporations were allowed by corrupt politicians to replace them with foreign workers that will work for less because they have no student loans themselves. It's so incredibly fucked up when you sit back and look at what is going on right now in America, this culture of screwing over young people then chastising them for low birth rates and being concerned with healthy eating and pollution. Boomers are a sociopathic generation, they have left us with a completely bankrupt country where life expectancy is dropping, quality of life is dropping, public services are third world tier, and the job market is rigged in favor of corporations so their F500 retirement portfolio can keep appreciating.
Went into IB for the same reason. Spent about a year there. I loved the work (relative to other areas of finance) and had something to prove (to myself, to the people around me, to the world, idfk). I don't regret pursuing the field, the endless grind, and even a lot of the mundane shit and stress that accompanied IB. However, it didn't combat my anxiety, and I realized one day that it wasn't going to give me the sense of fulfillment I was looking for. I got out and struck a better work life balance, allowing me to live a healthier lifestyle. I may not have a ton of time to do it, but at least now I can workout/see friends and family/have legitimate hobbies/give back. I would be naive to say I've found any semblance of a purpose, but selfless acts have helped. I am trying to make time for working at nonprofits/responding to those who reach out asking for networking opportunities/helping friends. The idea that you should just accept this feeling of emptiness and not do anything about it is bullshit. Many people look for meaning in IB. LMK when you meet someone who isn't completely conceited who has found it. Hoping you'll find it in IB is the lazy way of admitting you don't want to dive deeper and question what will actually make your life fufilling. This isn't a knock on IB careers at all. It is an excellent place to begin/continue a career.
What everyone forgetting is that its still "A JOB". You are fulfilling your bosses/shareholders dream of becoming rich. You are a pawn, a pond scum, and worth so little in the grand scheme of things (as evidenced by the amount of IB applicants).
Everyone thinks that by getting into IB they'll fulfill their dream... of getting a job.. that pays more because you work more...
Tough luck if you are realizing just now, but i hope you guys enjoy your time in IB because it teaches you a lot (if you are looking in the right places) and it is a career jumpstarter for the ambitious ones.
This.
What a lot of people fail to realize in this race we are all in are that: 1. Time will win. We're all in the same boat. 2. Treat others well. Life is short, and our time is limited here. 3. Live below your means. Money is limited. The less you need to work (unless you have an absolute passion for it), you have a chance to pursue a higher quality of life.
I was like you chasing the prestige in high school. Worked very hard to get my application to a point where I would get into an Ivy (from a public school). Good grades/ achievements made me prestigious but soon I found myself competing with other bright kids at the school and it just became an endless competition. My friend group had many members who placed a value on me based on my achievements and success. Life circumstances changed where I got out of that cycle and now I attend church and highly recommend it. It gives you a different perspective on life. Money and prestige can make you happy but they don't have to define you. It means a lot when people who know little about your background are still willing to pray for you. Everybody has some problem or issue in their life and is willing to admit it. You'll find a friendliness and welcoming atmosphere there that you don't really find elsewhere (at least for me). Definitely has benefits for only attending 1 hour a week.
I find a bunch of non-work pursuits fulfilling. I co-founded an accelerator where I help startups in food-tech raise $, I have a wife and baby and spend time with them, and like to buy real estate. Work is there to help me earn $ so that I can buy that real estate, which in turn lets me get a recurring stream of income so that I can follow those other more-interesting pursuits of family and startup work. Do I wish I could bring the earning of $ together in alignment with enjoyment of work? You bet. I wish I could get paid to work in a tech startup or do solar farm development. I'm trying to move the career in that direction. But often what pays the bills and lets me earn $ does not line up with my more heartfelt pursuits.
Damn.
As a VP, how do you feel? This is something I'd never ask one in person lmao.
I think the question you posed is an interesting one and one I've contemplated for a decent portion of my life, and while I agree with the general feeling, I don't see it as a bad thing. To be honest, I think it's an incredible asset when appropriately focused - it's something I've internally referred to as "the hunger." I'm a fairly introspective person, and I believe I would feel the same regardless of career path and hobbies - I always want more (success, interesting life experiences, intelligence, money, cars, etc.). Without the "void," I don't believe I would have the modest success I enjoy today.
I know people who work for NGOs but still feel empty. I think in any profession, if you are always focused on your self (e.g. what you will gain), you will eventually feel empty. I believe that the secret to fulfillment is to think of your work as your service to others. "Others" include your boss, co-workers, clients, country, and the world. I know it's hard because our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves ("what's in it for me"). The service mindset requires you to proactively choose it every day.
"Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it." -Luke 17:33
I worked in IB for like 1.5 years and absolutely loathed it. I sometimes wonder if it was just the perfect storm (I chose the wrong group, underperformed, did not have commonality with other analysts). But I was miserable. The prestige was cool for a while but I no longer cared for the money because I had no time to enjoy it. I completely lost sight of who I was. I had turned into a miserable asshole, finding myself just telling anyone that would listen how much I hated my life. Now I work in a different industry making way less but I'm so much happier. I see my old friends in IB stuck in the rat race and can see them leading lives they may regret. I want to enjoy my 20's and help other people. Banking taught me a lot, but it just wasn't for me.
I will say it matters to me A LOT what I'm working on. I quit a real estate PE shop that was making $, because I could not find myself giving 2 shits about whether the fund bought another office building. But I got REALLY interested when I worked on solar projects (building a solar company, and taking it public), or working on medtech investments. It mattered to me whether we were putting $ towards cures/treatments. The world has always struck me as deeply flawed and broken. And most of the time we're just polishing the brass rails on the sinking ship. If I get to work on projects that move the needle even a tiny bit forward for society, for the environment, for human health - I get super jazzed up about that. I have applied several times to the Bill & Melinda Gates' Foundation, and I hope one day I get in. I worked for 6 months at an orphanage full time in Italy, and I wasn't paid a dime - and it was the best goddamn job I ever had. Just can't support and raise a family on warm fuzzy feelings alone.
It's really difficult to get your work which you do for pay to line up with your heart and bigger interests. I do know a few ppl who seem to have managed tho. There's a team of solar energy development guys at my co-working center. One of them was in S&T, and he quit, studied solar installation online, and then parlayed that technical knowledge + his finance background into work as a solar-energy developer. Kind of a stretch in terms of skillset matching, but I guess he was able to show real passion and commitment to the area, and designed his better future. I know ppl who dropped out of IB (or made enough $ in PE to retire) then got into healthcare services, either by investing in hospitals or quitting and going to medschool. My old shop's CEO was a hedge fund guy who decided to invest in healthcare instead. Not sure if everyone's happy w/ the change, but thought I'd share this data anyway in case it helps someone.