Is IB truly the path to salvation?
I am currently a first year student at WUSTL(maybe semi-target) and have wanted to go into IB since 10th grade. Whenever I say this people always look at me crazy and I understand why.
A “kid” wanting to pursue 80hr weeks is seen as stupid by peers as who wouldn’t want to party their 20’s away. For me I have always found financial stability to be crucial and I believe that if it’s in my power I want to provide any and everything to my family one day. I grew up middle class and have watched how me and those around me have made all our decisions around 1 thing: money. I have always seen money as a limiting factor of potential and being the driven person I am have sought ways to work hard and make money. This desire coupled with the fact I have been investing since I was about 12 led me to IB. I find IB to be super interesting but at the end of the day PE is where I truly want to end up. I have always been drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit and think PE is the perfect blend of high salary, hard work, and working with businesses.
As you can see by the title of this post I want to get a broader opinion on whether IB truly is the way to achieve my goals. So far I have done everything possible to maximize my chances of breaking into IB this first semester. From joining clubs and Bus frat to talking to upperclassman with return offers. I am fascinated by M&A so within IB my dream would be NYC IB M&A. Is there a better way to reach PE or is it best to pay my dues and work up the same way that have been proven for years?
If I’m being dumb don’t be afraid to speak to me honestly I can take criticism!
just put my fries in the bag lil bro
It's a job amigo. You work, your employer pays you.
If you want salvation, find [insert deity of choice].
So many better careers
Such as?
Path to misery. Remember to look back on this post once you’re actually working 80/90 hour weeks consistently.
Trying to find “salvation” through being an employee is very unlikely to work…
Bro all you people do is complain. 80-90 hour works week are probably pretty inconsistent after analyst and after vp, which as an a2a you can make at 28, is pretty rare. If you just stay in banking at 28-30, you can be making 550-800 as a vp maybe more depending on the year and bank or if you get an an early d promotion with no skin in the game and the path to 50 hours per week making millions per year. Not to mention you get to talk to all kinds of top management from different industries, so tons of opps for corporate exits and one time equity bangers along the way. Also unlike pe if you get fired finding an opp seems much more possible.
if you have any semblance of an investing ability, you can also just exit and do that, so that’s also a non factor.
I still think banking is one of the only jobs that will let you live an upper upper middle class life like a boomer who made is way up corporate. Everything is getting to expensive and banking although not the best thing ever made is quite a lucrative and somewhat secure opportunity to make money early on. Especially after dropping 400k on fucking wustl.
If your about to ms bite me.
Im A2VP but thanks for all of the insight. My associates are still working 80 hour weeks. That is the IB model. You’re right, things are all blue skies and rainbows after Analyst years. What you gain with hours at VP level is replaced with different kinds of stress / responsibility. Pay is good but at balance sheet banks quite a bit is deferred.
50 hour weeks for “millions”? Where?! Do you work in IB?
Edit: Should have checked your post history before I replied to this, assumed you’d at least be a FTE somewhere. Turns out you have not worked a single day in IB as you are an incoming intern. I want you to come back to this after a year or so on the job.
The “you people” you reference are usually actually working in the industry and are experiencing the mental / physical toll. You are minimizing something you know nothing about.
Not even gonna ask if you work in the industry. This is raw idiocy.
u need to get laid bro and focus on that. stop being one of those ib / finance obsessed nerds.
First off you've done many things wrong which displeases me.
1. WTF is WUSTL. That is a thing of the past. Washu.
2. You're making us look like Stern/Berkeley/Michigan hardos, dont do that either.
3. Chill out and have a little fun. ''Being personable goes farther than being knowledgeable.''-an MD I know.
Ik it’s WashU I just felt like being proper. And I would never make our beautiful institution seem hardo I was just bored at 4am when I wrote this lol. Don’t get me wrong there is defiantly hardos but it’s just never that deep.
If you are 100% sure you want to do IB, I'd consider transferring out. If you have a good GPA it isn't hard to transfer from WashU to a target school–I know a decent number of people who have transferred from WashU to an Ivy/Ivy equivalent.
Ngl if you go to WashU and you are dead set on going to IB I'd transfer out. If you have a good GPA (like 3.8 and above) and can write a good application it isn't that difficult to transfer to a target. Can PM me if you have any Qs about that process.
I PM you about transferring
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