At a crossroads in life

Hi everyone,

I'm finishing up a term at a PE fund and could use some advice. I visit this forum for guidance from people in similar situations to my own. Sometimes I feel like I've accomplished nothing while everyone seems to strive ahead...

Background::

Undergrad: HYP (Dual Degrees in Math, English)

Extracurriculars: Managed allotment of $120MM endowment starting in first year of University, achieved consistent 34% annual returns for all four years of undergrad (sharpe: 9.83, for what it's worth) utilizing a wide variety of asset classes and private equity investments. Managed portfolio team of 40 professionals.

Internship (freshman): Renaissance Technologies (HFT engineer assistant, not really applicable to my current profession)

Internship (sophomore): Top "Megafund" (Junior Associate Intern, fund manages over $400Bn)

Internship (junior): Same as before

The thing is upon graduation, I had to take a job elsewhere when the market started to tank...so I ended up as an analyst at GS TMT/MS M&A and just tried to work past it (I know how it feels, compliance guy). I also completed the CFA in my spare time (more on that later).

After my three years I decided to pursue a different opportunity as an associate in the other of the aforementioned places. I kept coming for advice on what to do but people said I was trolling around and ignored me.

I really enjoyed my time as an associate, but felt the need to expand....luckily I was able to find a spot in another Megafund as a pre-MBA associate (distressed investing/restructuring group of a reputable fund) and I've been enjoying the experience, but I keep coming back to common advice I see here...what are my exit opps? Can I expect to work for a HF/UltraMegaFund PE? I've been at this fund for 4 years now but I don't see myself making Senior MD for a while.

So that's where I'm at now, I'm trying to figure out what my exit opps are and exactly what I should be doing. I also studied for the GMAT (scored 800...twice...just to be safe) and I am considering a good business school to help me lateral into a related position.

My worries:

1) Not securing a FT offer from my junior internship has reflected badly (This is the kiss of death I've been reading about...) 2) Doing the CFA (I was young and stupid..but how much will it count against me? Will the whole "only minorities do it" reputation hurt me?) 3) Not networking enough like my peers :( 4) GPA was 3.9/4.0 in University and I forgot to round up to 3.95, could affect recruiter's perceptions of me?

Have a great Sunday

24 Comments
 

Sorry to not leave any useful comments...but you are kidding right? You are stressed out!? Either this is a complete joke or you are one of the brightest person I have heard of.

 

Dude, I am facing the same problem! I don't know if I should be CEO of the PE fund that my dad is tired to manage or if I just say finaly "Yes" to the NASA for a Space program...

Life is so tough sometimes...

 

Almost believable...until like the 3rd sentence. But overall good troll. This is far more entertaining than what usually comes out of these types of posts (Piper Jaffray or H&F bashing). It took some dedication to write a post that long...good job. lol

Reality hits you hard, bro...
 

Et quia repellendus adipisci repudiandae molestiae non qui dolores. Atque qui rerum necessitatibus. Asperiores odit voluptate ullam eos quo ducimus rerum.

Id eos mollitia sed quia eligendi ut ea laudantium. Nesciunt corrupti exercitationem labore cupiditate quis soluta. Necessitatibus voluptatem sed saepe ipsa et. Aperiam minus eius nihil earum quo. Assumenda aperiam temporibus sequi repudiandae sequi in.

"The higher up the mountain, the more treacherous the path" -Frank Underwood
 

Eligendi et fuga repudiandae blanditiis quam iusto et. Est voluptatem et fuga velit. In aut occaecati fugit magnam delectus vel tenetur.

Beatae et mollitia non nihil commodi odit nam. Sequi praesentium et itaque iure laborum explicabo. Aperiam rerum commodi ut doloribus.

Exercitationem et temporibus aspernatur quae. Consectetur et ex placeat sit non eum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
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...”