How do I set myself up for success on my journey to get into investment banking?

Alright so I am 23 years old, first-year community college student in California. I was previously in the military so that is why I am a 23 year old freshman. I will be going into my second year of college starting January 2024 (I started college this year in January). So I have done some research about investment banking and I am aware of the "crazy hours" investment bankers work and people talk about, so I know that I will be getting into a demanding field which I don't mind because I like fast paced work and I know working those long hours is part of what the job entails. I am passionate about being a businessman. I can see myself help facilitate transactions with companies and high net worth individuals. I enjoy the grind and doing business. With going into investment banking, my goals are obtaining my MBA from a top business program, working in investment banking and working my way up to a senior level. Eventually I would like to exit and go into Private Equity, Venture Capital that kind of thing. I want to eventually be a VC and have an investment firm for example and invest in companies, start-ups, I basically want to become an investor. Anyways these are ideas that I have just to give you a bit of a background about me.

So, for those who are successful investment bankers currently, what can I do starting now to set myself up for success so I can land investment banking internships and a full time offer? And once in investment banking, how do I stay in and progress and become good at my job so I can get promotions. How do I go about exiting and getting into PE and/or Venture Capitalism? I am driven to be successful in this field and for me this is it. It's either this or nothing. This is what I see myself doing and do not imagine myself doing any other type of work. I am ready to grind and make a name for myself. Also, I am single and don't really have any real friends currently so the social aspect doesn't matter to me.

1 Comments
 

Temporibus officia consequatur dolores aliquid animi qui veniam. Molestias cumque odit voluptatem quia sit. Iste vero exercitationem ab ut. Iusto similique cum minus accusantium. Non ipsum suscipit voluptatem labore distinctio error dignissimos. Est ratione deleniti autem facere et esse aut sed.

Dolor unde culpa hic quasi rerum iure. Qui nobis iure ea omnis sit. Itaque architecto hic enim voluptates voluptatem. Ut aut qui molestiae.

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 (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”