Can't Decide

Hey I'm about to enter into university i have high grades and cant decide between doing investment banking or petroleum engineering i am interested in both but i think the investment banker lifestyle would fit me better. ask me for more information if you need it also i live in canada, alberta (oil country). I would like to move to new york for investment banking by the way and i would be open to moving anywhere for petroleum engineering. If anyone had to make this decision could you please give me some insight to what you choose and why. thanks any help would be nice.

Edit: whats the chances of me getting a investment banker job at goldman with an engineering degree?

12 Comments
 

Go engineering. An Investment Bank will hire an engineer - an engineering firm won't necessarily hire an investment banker.

"There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat."
 
Best Response

You have plenty of time to make that decision if you haven't even started at a university yet. My suggestions to you in order to set yourself up for either:

  • try out some engineering, finance, and accounting classes and determine which major you think you would excel at...if you can double major in engineering and finance/acct that would be helpful
  • read WSO everyday
  • start networking early...you have a good position since you are just starting university and have time...getting informational interviews with individuals in both areas will be helpful in making a decision down the road
  • get involved on campus in an energy club or finance/banking related clubs to learn more about the areas
  • start reading WSJ and other news publications....I suggest OGFJ (Oil and Gas Financial Journal) because you seem to be interested in O&G
  • maintain your GPA
  • look for some internships after your fresh/soph year in either IB or O&G so you can get your feet wet and decide if you are actually interested
  • Have fun in college.....don't get bogged down in focusing on after too much

Good luck...but really the best advice anyone can give you is to Network, Network, Network

XX
 

I do but instead of watching videos on youtube i enjoy researching this stuff and trading small amounts of money. I still play video games and stuff.

 

As a recent chemical engineering grad trying to break into finance, let me give you some advice. I'm not trying to dissuade you from pursuing your potential dreams, but if you're interested in finance or some other field I would not recommend that you major in chemE/petroE. First of all, getting a high gpa (3.7+) in chemE is going to almost impossible if you're not truly interested in the subject. Second, chemE will ruin your college experience and that's not an exaggeration. If you major in chemE you won't have fun, won't get a high gpa, most likely won't get laid, and if you get a shit gpa (3.0) u might not even get an engineering job. I know this may sound a bit harsh, but it's the truth pal. Like one of the previous posters said, you're only 14 so go enjoy your youth and don't worry about engineering/ibanking until you're in college.

 
BicepBrahAs a recent chemical engineering grad trying to break into finance, let me give you some advice. I'm not trying to dissuade you from pursuing your potential dreams, but if you're interested in finance or some other field I would not recommend that you major in chemE/petroE. First of all, getting a high gpa (3.7+) in chemE is going to almost impossible if you're not truly interested in the subject. Second, chemE will ruin your college experience and that's not an exaggeration. If you major in chemE you won't have fun, won't get a high gpa, most likely won't get laid, and if you get a shit gpa (3.0) u might not even get an engineering job. I know this may sound a bit harsh, but it's the truth pal. Like one of the previous posters said, you're only 14 so go enjoy your youth and don't worry about engineering/ibanking until you're in college.

As someone who studied chemE for 3 years at a top school before transferring to study finance at another university, I agree with this assessment. Getting that 3.5+ GPA to qualify for Ibanking position is very hard, only about 20 people in my class of 120 managed the feat. Pulling it off with extracurriculars is next to impossible because you'd be cutting down the pathetic hours you'll be sleeping. Even though I enjoyed most of my classes, I hated the fact that I worked my ass off to keep up my 2.3. Having connections in industry, I wasn't worried about immediate employment but it was hurting my chances of going to a top B-School. And that's what brought me here.

If you are looking to study chemE, whip your math game into shape in high school. Your anus will thank you later.

 

Quod vitae voluptatem eum quidem quia. Eos facilis non enim aliquam aut facere. Qui nobis eveniet occaecati eligendi. Praesentium officia ut illo omnis et. Et expedita id ipsam odit voluptatem nesciunt placeat. Praesentium repellat et inventore aut est alias consequuntur.

Eveniet id veritatis nihil temporibus id enim. Sed omnis et non modi nemo ut. Veritatis nam mollitia nostrum accusantium non. Aliquam ut corporis magni natus atque cum deserunt. Sunt quos maxime placeat.

Vel sint quo ut est aut nihil aut. Earum perferendis error sint possimus. Neque repellat perferendis dignissimos non eum cum. Quisquam est at esse et aut dolores fugit fugit. Et vel tempore rerum amet qui aut. Natus est quisquam officiis quae sapiente. Voluptate qui autem eligendi a sit reprehenderit.

Qui nesciunt eveniet accusantium. Aut aut animi inventore non quia aut. Explicabo libero iusto ut molestiae est maxime. Incidunt ad sit quia itaque. Qui nemo rem est quaerat delectus qui optio.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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

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