If you could start over what would you do differently
.
Trending Content - Off Topic Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
June 30, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Everything
I would have joined corporate banking
Really why?
Based on the most helpful WSO content, if I had to start over, there are a few key insights from industry professionals that stand out:
Take More Risks Earlier: Many professionals wish they had taken more risks earlier in their careers. This could mean exploring different sectors within finance, moving to a new city for a promising opportunity, or even starting a venture of their own. The idea is that the earlier you take risks, the more time you have to recover and learn from any failures, and potentially, the greater the rewards.
Learn to Sell, Persuade, and Network Sooner: The ability to sell ideas, persuade others, and build a strong professional network is invaluable in finance (and most other industries). Starting to develop these skills early on can open many doors and create opportunities that might not otherwise be available.
Set Big Goals Earlier: Setting ambitious goals from the start can provide a clear direction and motivation. It's about having a vision for where you want to be and mapping out the steps to get there, rather than moving through your career without a clear end goal in mind.
Be More Strategic: This involves thinking long-term and making decisions that align with your ultimate career objectives. It might mean choosing roles that offer the best learning opportunities over those that offer the highest immediate compensation, or it could involve pursuing additional education or certifications to position yourself for future opportunities.
Develop a Stronger Work-Life Balance: While not explicitly mentioned, the underlying theme in many reflections is the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This includes making time for personal interests, family, and health, which can contribute to sustained performance and satisfaction in one's career.
These insights suggest that a successful career is not just about hard work and technical skills, but also about strategic thinking, personal development, and balance.
Sources: If you could start over, would you still be in Finance?, 2 steps to killing it in 2016!, 2 steps to killing it in 2016!, IB MD Q&A, You Get to Redo College
A million different things lol
All said, things have turned out decently -- 10yrs out of college will be the checkpoint / referendum for me though. Bit early to really tell whether the 'regrets' I have now are real regrets or ones that will fade away. Dunno
Done a masters in international relations/public policy and then pursued a career in geopolitics or diplomacy. That's always been my passion since a child, but I chose to go into finance because of the money and both my parents were entrepreneurs. It's never too late to do things differently though. I'm preparing to apply to some programs in the fall, and I'm not going to look back
Would you say that money shouldn't define your career choice at all?
Imo, money is definitely an important factor to consider when pursuing a career. However, a lot of people, especially recent college graduates, have a very insular view on making money. They tend to focus too much on the short-term (i.e. first salary, bonus etc.). Instead, you should ask yourself, what are my interests? what are my strengths? what does the growth potential look like in this role? Unless you're in desperate need of money, taking a longer perspective on your career will be a lot more effective than just chasing the next big thing
Everything. I deeply regret my professional life from 18-28.
Won't share online. Would easily doxx me amongst people I know.
-
Tried harder in high school and college. Looking back the marginal additional effort relative the the amount of partying I wouldn't have been able to do is minimal and could've made my start in the industry much easier. Also taken more profits from PA trading in 2020 & 2021 - a great rule of thumb is if it's impressive enough to screen shot it's impressive enough to sell 50-75% to cover cost + profit take and still leave some on for upside.
Probably forget about studying for the CFA exams and study for the GMAT and go to an M7 MBA program.
Has the CFA been helpful?
His answer kind of answers your question already no?
Maybe also stay at the cushy WFH corporate job in NYC.
Go to the expensive yet prestigious college that I would’ve gotten into instead of being a cheap ass and going to community college. Never would have thought that my schools branding would have such an impact on what job I was able to get.
Isn’t college branding and placement pretty common knowledge in HS?
Not if you’re an international (maybe also not in rural US?).
Cause I went to a state school on almost-full scholarship as an international vs a couple of very good colleges I got into.
Correct. However, my excuse isn't that I wasn't taught about the value of that. Instead, it's the fact that I valued saving money over everything else since I went into college not knowing what I wanted out of my career. It doesn't help that I'm an immigrant and my family never understood how things like this actually worked so they didn't allow me to take out student loans. Overall, I can't complain that much in reality because it made me a self-starter and I ended up being in the top 99.9% of community college and the state school I transferred to after earning my Associates. I could also still be living in the shithole country that I was born and grew up in soooo.
Could you expand on this? Does this matter less as your career goes on, or do you still see a real impact today?
Animi molestiae porro tempora vero consequuntur. Praesentium officia eius deleniti laudantium aut praesentium voluptas impedit.
Aperiam distinctio nobis molestiae dolores. Vitae et ut qui sit amet et. Magni aliquam dolorem recusandae asperiores amet. Aliquid unde eum rem praesentium saepe exercitationem facilis similique. Debitis nostrum iure natus debitis. Ratione qui voluptatibus quaerat est fuga repellendus et qui.
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...
Id saepe et ipsum fugiat maxime doloribus et suscipit. Est repellat debitis error blanditiis quis asperiores. Corrupti eos at quia quos est. Voluptatem quasi sunt et quasi ipsum natus fugit quod. Qui dolorum et provident consectetur voluptatum illum nemo tempora.
Sed est sint vel nulla consequatur quos sed. Odit sint velit eius qui velit. Velit cum voluptatem optio necessitatibus. Voluptatum repudiandae expedita optio sed accusantium itaque asperiores sunt. Non possimus dolor ut at. Dolores qui ut magnam consequuntur.