Is it normal?

This past recruiting cycle I was overlooked by a lot of banks. While some of it was clearly my fault in preparation I do personally think some of it was out of my control. I ended up landing a bank people typically saw as MM but it has since been doing great.

My question is, I used to want to do the whole two years in IB then get out thing. I still think this is the path for me. However, is it normal now that my motivation went from just wanting to complete, to now wanting to do it as well as possible just because I was rejected by banks I thought I deserved/ to prove to the bank that brought me on they made the right choice; or am I taking this all too personally and I should just go back to my original plan?

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You're taking it too personally. Realistically, interns/new grads are all pretty equal to each other - it's truly not about you, you were one of 10,000 applications and they are not digging in to get to know each and every one of you. In 5-7-10 years, people take such diverging paths that being in the 90th vs 95th percentile starting point matters a lot less.

There is no prize for working 500x harder than the next analyst, except maybe an extra $10k. You can calculate the $/hour on earning that but it's pretty grim. If you want to stay in IB forever maybe it's worth impressing everyone, but if you're leaving in 2 years I wouldn't burn yourself out trying to prove yourself. 

Honestly the best advice I have is get off this website / out of the prestige circlejerk at your school. You have a great job lined up, go live your life for a couple years, find some hobbies outside of finance and be excited for what you have coming up.

 

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