Just signed offer letter joining ECM group at a BB..feeling miserable..

So I just got my offer letter to join ECM group at a BB that expired today, and I sent it in. It was my only offer despite numerous attempts at networking along the way. I feel like this offer is worthless and I'll never get to where I want to be (HF). I just see no exit ops at all within ECM and feel honestly like it's going to be almost impossible to get into coverage. Do you guys have any uplifting stories or something to make this easier? All I know is that my only real chance is going to be after 2 years in ECM...I might as well have just went to business school at this point. Do you guys think I should try for Duke MMS? I see this as basically slaving away for 2 years BEFORE I can even slave away for another year and hope to get into a Hedge Fund up in Greenwich at some point after that and finally start to have a life and enjoy myself.

34 Comments
 

Suck it up and move on. And be happy that you at least got a job.

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

You are acting like this is a science. Yes, some people go directly from IB, but that is NOT the ONLY way (there are guys at my fund who were engineers before). Per your post you are acting like once you get on the buyside it is all unicorns and rainbows. To be successful you are going to really have to leverage your judgement, network, EXPERIENCE, etc. It is a tough, unforgiving, business but if you are smart and have the right attitude you can try to leverage your time in ECM and use it to your advantage. You will be surprised how much of a difference attitude makes. I am not trying to be a prick here - you are clearly feeling a bit low, but you need to realize that what you want is still in your reach if you work hard and are smart about it.

Getting a job in ECM is an accomplishment, so congratulations and enjoy your senior year.

 

I'm unemployed.

Be glad that you have something tangentially close to banking. Work with what you have; I'd kill to be in your spot.

 

You have a terrible attitude. The move you want is definitely possible. Expecting moving to a hf in Greenwich is the only thing that will make you happy and is the start of the life is stupid - and about a duke mms. You had a chance to get coverage and didn't do it - it is possible you could go to school and end up without the offer you want a second time around. Work and try to enjoy it, other banks will value your ecm experience more than an mms, plus you'll be getting paid instead of paying for school. Some tough love kind of advice that seems necessary.

 

Sack the fuck up. Your career is long and not linear. It's not going to be some straight lined path that you have to go through to get to a certain point. I know WSO makes it seem that way and it may feel that way but it's rarely true in practice.

If you have that attitude going in not only will you not have the job you want, you'll also do a poor job and sabotage yourself. I see it all the time with guys who think they are in jobs beneath them. Take a positive attitude; do good work, and keep striving for the job you want.

 

Grow the fuck up.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

WSO daycare in full effect.

Ya bro, like ECM is a far worse position than all these guys posting their BO to FO transition. Such an uphill battle.

And I love the HF hard on. HFs are cool to tell dumb girls or your mom, but all you have to do is look at performance and longevity of funds to see that many if not most HFs don't laster. Once you go below that high water mark it just makes more sense to close and start a new. It isn't the promised land like people make it out.

Here is a frightening concept. Maybe you might like ECM and choose to stay in banking. Shocking I know.

Either way man up and stop being a bitch.

 

Please take a step back and realize that there are untold thousands of kids from targets and non-targets alike who would kill for your job. You're going to be in an ECM group, leaving well before your IB peers, and making 6 figures as a 22 year old. To answer your question, no, you shouldn't go for a MSF; you should go blow out with your signing bonus and enjoy yourself.

 
NuclearPenguins

Jesus fuck. The longer I spend on this site the more I'm astounded by how absolutely blinded people are about having to follow some set path. The majority of the people who shit on ECM probably don't even work in finance.

Bingo!

 

Just another kid who thought he was entitled to 400k/yr before age 30 and is depressed because anything less is mediocre by comparison. Is there a club you over-privileged kids go to get circle jerked about your outlandish expectations or is this a too much TV growing up and being told unicorns shit skittles type of problem?

 
ArcherVice

Is there a club you over-privileged kids go to get circle jerked about your outlandish expectations or is this a too much TV growing up and being told unicorns shit skittles type of problem?

I believe it's called 'WSO'

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

Libero suscipit nihil sed nesciunt dolorem. Consequatur cum tenetur veniam voluptatem. Cum mollitia consectetur asperiores aut odit dignissimos. Praesentium voluptas omnis suscipit ut.

Quod vitae laboriosam est quia. Iste cumque aspernatur et explicabo corrupti.

 

Enim qui nisi nihil quisquam est qui ut. Omnis unde sint veritatis doloremque delectus architecto. Vel vel qui qui et. Voluptate aliquam nesciunt consequatur accusantium natus. Quia molestiae est et corporis eligendi facere occaecati magnam.

Enim aliquam maiores magni accusamus laboriosam et suscipit. Nihil sit consequatur quam et quia qui et. Ex libero magni eum nihil eius nihil odit. Facere mollitia dignissimos quibusdam illo at iure dolorem deleniti.

Quo quaerat voluptatem voluptas illo. Natus et hic ea eos et et. Repellendus est qui quod non ipsam.

Quo voluptatem velit blanditiis a consequatur earum nam. Ducimus ullam est eum sint nihil possimus alias eveniet. Eos qui laboriosam distinctio iste recusandae atque rerum a.

--Death, lighter than a feather; duty, heavier than a mountain

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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
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...”