First time poster but IB will do this to ya… Learning this is not for me. Working weekends and week day evenings, barely any social life, and the work itself is just simply very monotonous and boring. I jumped to IB recently (just under half a year in) and… I want to quit and never look back.
Dreamt the IB life since UG (non-target) but now realizing I hate it and it’s not what I want long term or short term, it’s draining me away!! Previously I spent a couple years in buy side fixed income research (public markets) but I have some corporate finance Inter ship experience and interest in an extremely better work life balance. I reminisce on my corporate days where work life was much better despite lower pay. Have had thoughts on corporate accounting, treasury, and FP&A despite being technically a step down from IB (dcm). Any paths towards CFO sound attractive. Have also considered part time MB&A (do not want FT).
Any others experiencing the same or have suggestions on what to do? How do I leave this and never look back…
Bump
Your hours in DCM are that bad? Always thought DCM was better for WLB
You should have a long-term goal in mind, it is similar in a way to the military.
It requires intense commitment and sacrifice, but it also gives you the opportunity to move up or succeed in something else. If you don't have a goal in mind, it's just gonna suck. Think about where all your hard work is leading towards. If it's just to work and consume until you die then you are gonna get disillusioned and disappointed.
There is no deeper meaning, it's a business that exists to make a profit, it's not the meaning of life or the end-all-be-all of fulfillment and happiness. If you are going to sacrifice so much to make fat checks then you should have a reason to do so. If it's just, "I want lots of money" then it will just be meaningless. Owners and wealthy investors are making more and doing less. This business is rare in that it offers a bridge across the class divide in a relatively short amount of time.
The proletarian mentality is entirely different, where your job is who you are and defines how you live. We are really just highly specialized cogs in machines owned by other people. Imagine the "work life balance" of just owning a boat load of stock. Work is not required. That is why these jobs exist, to serve those people. If you are making 300k or 500k a year and you aren't completely wasteful with money or hooked on something, then you can invest it. If you move up, then you can invest more.
Just keep in mind, in the beginning, the bank or corporation you work for exists simply because someone decided to invest with the goal of making a profit. That's it. That's why the job exists, that's why you are there, that's why people are grinding around the clock to keep the machine running. Just take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I met a guy from Arkansas picked tomatoes in a field all day long for $3 an hour, that was his work life balance. Puts things into perspective. You have to realize just how powerful a position you are in and what that means.
Was that guy happy? Unironically sounds like he was/is.
Man was struggling, but he was doing it for his family. Maybe he found joy in that.
Being a migrant worker is not a good time at all, but it's worth it if your kids can get an education and achieve success. They could become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or even an investment banker.
Either way, it's something to think about when you eat. People are sacrificing so much just to keep the human race alive, or even just to make a life in the USA. Wall Street is not just the financial center of the US, it is the nerve center of the global economy. It really is the top of the economic ladder.
People are willing to do much worse for far less
Exercitationem eos aut aut aut officia. Ea velit ab quas minus repudiandae ducimus facere. Totam suscipit laudantium ut consequatur suscipit nisi. Nobis aliquam illum saepe suscipit qui harum. Eaque facere a fuga ipsam non quo.
Sunt sit et dolorem culpa ipsam sequi. Deserunt similique exercitationem delectus odit molestiae. Eligendi sit atque nihil quia ut dolorem. Possimus totam et quam id eum dolores. Voluptas hic est commodi ut. Mollitia ipsa distinctio doloremque aperiam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...