Is a prestige lens toxic?

Whenever I talk to people about work/ finance stuff I immediately check/ consider their bank/ firm/ fund brand and pass everything they say thru a prestige filter. If the finance person has never worked in a global brand name firm, I discount the things they say and think they're sus (not all the time tho). This has started to poison my mind somewhat.

In my defense, I'd argue that this suspicion carries some grain of truth - the people who never worked in brand name firms often show signs of this.

How to let go of this?

22 Comments
 

This seems to stem from a lack of social skills + inferiority complex. The type who lives to work.

 

A. Accept that comparatively you know nothing compared to a seasoned MD at a LMM firm

B. Talk to people outside of finance. Literally they see everyone the same in our field with mild differences.

C. Get off this forum and come back when you can take all that is said with a grain of salt

Always here to help!
 

Agree.

Ok so how's this for a different take - the person in question is tryna sell or teach me smtg. Whenever some salesman tries to get me into a financial/ insurance plan, or sell me a stock trading course by acting like the typical trader guru, I take one look at their resume, see that they worked in trash firms their whole life then tell them to gtfo.

And these gurus usually preach voodoo finance

 

RJRDabisco

A. Accept that comparatively you know nothing compared to a seasoned MD at a LMM firm

B. Talk to people outside of finance. Literally they see everyone the same in our field with mild differences.

C. Get off this forum and come back when you can take all that is said with a grain of salt

Lolol most people outside of finance thinks investment banking is the same as buy side (aka root of all evil) anyway

 

This is very common. This isn’t a good thing to be doing.

One of the best ways for me is to remember the history of banking. GS was a no name bank until the Sears IPO and wasn’t a BB until the Ford IPO (and that’s being generous to GS). Drexel was a bank that was only relevant because it used to be Drexel, Morgan until Milken made it the Street’s most profitable bank. Bank of America started out as a bumfuck North Carolina bank that really only moved out of being a regional bank in 1998 to consuming Merrill in ‘08 to now one of the top banks in the world.

Lack of prestige isn’t a synonym for incompetent. And it is competence that matters

 

Have sex, take a few night classes doing a hobby you have no experience in, and stop seeking self validation through others. In the real world no one gives a fuck where you work or what you do as long as the bills are getting paid. Don’t surround yourself with a bunch of antisocial hardos, they feed off of that shit and it will just make you worse off in the long run if you are actually trying to get out of this “prestige driven” mindset.

Trying out new hobbies will keep you humble/interesting as a person. And sex, well sex is great.

 

LOL intern. Honestly once you’re actually in the industry you will realize the ‘prestige’ of a bank does not matter on an interpersonal level. I have friends who are analysts at ‘top banks’ and friends at obscure boutiques. We are all kind of doing the same job. It’s largely the same type of people who end up in IB.

It only makes a difference to you and your career. So play the prestige game if you want the marginal access to better sweatshops like Anansi Group, Spring Oak Creek Management, and Proctologos Capital but just know even the guys at JG Wentworth & Co. in Sioux Falls are going to make cheddar and not give af about your perception of prestige.

Cheers bud

 

Ut facilis accusantium voluptatem tenetur. Corporis et quia quia voluptatibus labore nobis consequatur. Consequuntur modi et in dignissimos corporis.

Est vel quo ea. Non qui totam et qui in eius. Architecto quos deserunt aut autem. Sit et dolores iusto qui distinctio sequi deserunt earum. Molestiae officiis delectus quia nostrum quam vel.

 

In ea alias dicta voluptas occaecati inventore aut. Nam error dolorum eos adipisci et aut. Voluptatem quaerat non esse ab voluptas ea doloremque. Amet quaerat et et quos similique veniam ducimus.

Deleniti ullam quis ut minima dolorem facilis nulla. Autem delectus mollitia et quas mollitia velit.

Iusto reiciendis possimus molestiae repellendus eligendi eum numquam. Rerum sunt esse natus quisquam nihil voluptatem. Necessitatibus illum qui velit praesentium reiciendis fuga. Et doloribus ratione cum sed. Quia occaecati consequatur provident qui iste nisi culpa. Qui maiores asperiores voluptatum. A nostrum consectetur non corporis autem dolor unde voluptate.

Quod ut voluptatem sequi et eaque. Vitae ratione ut pariatur unde. Est labore minima omnis est saepe expedita aliquam officiis. Officia omnis incidunt nemo a. Ullam accusamus eveniet veniam animi aspernatur saepe consequatur. Quia id voluptatum eos nemo ipsum doloremque. Maiores id iusto at nisi nobis repellendus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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...”