How does WSO define "smart"
Many on WSO mention you have to be really "smart" to work at a top group at GS/MS, or you have to be really "smart" to go over to BX or some other PE MF. When people say this, what do they mean? Outside of being "smart" enough to go to a top 3 target, what makes one person smarter than another, and thus more likely to work at a top group?
Edit: seems I haven't best explained my question. See below for a reply that further elaborates on my question and why I asked.
Well I asked because different professions value different attributes. For example, the attributes that make you "smart" in IB do not necessarily translate to quant. I'm also curious because intellectually IB isn't challenging to the degree that quant is. In IB you surely work harder for longer, but the work is not harder itself. Now because of that ceiling, I was curious to see what differentiates candidates and most people nonchalantly mention that one is smarter than another. My question asks to see where this "smartness" is seen. Is it based in more social aspects, like knowing what to say when or being able to express yourself efficiently? Or is it based in technical strengths, like being excellent at modelling and having a deep understanding of financial markets?
All I'm really asking is what skills are valued because it seems to be that having these skills makes you "smart".
ay bossman, if you're asking that question on this website i would say don't worry about it and focus on having a good personality and great hygiene (+ an obscenely rich father)
care to elaborate?
i would if you were smart enough
Translation: "You're an idiot."
The answer is unfortunately white. Look at the top post about Evercore not being an EB anymore. Basically boils down to people who got rejected bitching that there’s more than one Hispanic kid per class of 80.
Lmao look at the diversity kid here coping. The most dogshit analysts I’ve had were those that were handheld through recruiting because of their race.
Lol have fun asking analysts to remove double spaces in decks nobody will ever look at bozo.
I've thought about this too - I've noticed that finance guys mention how someone is 'smart' more often that what could be deemed necessary. Especially since many in finance roles like IB just push logos and formatting, yet many people still talk about 'smart' disproportionately often
That's exactly why I'm asking which I'm glad you relate to. Knowing many people in IB and people in quant, those in IB always state how smart those who work at top IB groups are yet on a technical level their work is not hard--especially compared to those in quant. I'm more of the opinion that there isn't some intangible "savoir-faire" in IB and rather it comes down to social skills and "smart" being a lazy proxy for some more representative adjective, like how good a conversationalist someone is.
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