I feel like life is nice, and I'm optimistic about the future

I've been browsing this site since 2014, and I've seen an uptick of depressing mentalities since the height of COVID that I didn't see before hand. I think a lot of it has todo with Gen Z being a driving force in the entry-level economy. I remember when I graduated college in 2016, "Gen Z" wasn't really even an agreed upon term. I really appreciate the social change brought by Gen Z to the finance industry. I remember when I was a kid, the most controversial thing people saw was an LGBT kiss in a Katy Perry music video. And I was the same age then as a lot of Gen Z is now and they are far more involved due to social media and the increased pace of information dissemination that exists now.

That being said, regardless of the very valid anti-establishment opinion's I've seen, I can't help but feel that things aren't as bad as people are making them out to be. I'm a senior associate on a stub VP promotion rn, and I am a bit frustrated with expenses, but that's because I spend my salary living in one of the nicest one bdrm's in all of Manhattan on market price. I'm enjoy myself on the weekends, and I've been seeing a girl I like for a while. I don't mean this as a flex post or anything, but I'm genuinely asking, do so many prospects and interns really feel so jaded by the world and how things are going? Do they really not have any joy?

3 Comments
 

Ut sed mollitia magni ut quas. Explicabo sed sunt quisquam omnis commodi repudiandae officiis. Et consequatur quis nihil voluptates consectetur aut qui quaerat. Aut autem sit eos reiciendis natus soluta. Expedita maxime ut aut ea quod voluptas.

Velit omnis optio cum repellat reprehenderit qui. Mollitia ad cumque recusandae sequi. Aut quas numquam eveniet at. Expedita rem rem sapiente. Id sunt soluta at eum dolorem soluta mollitia.

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 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $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

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...”