Office Politics
Currently in IB and besides the hours, the number 1 thing that makes me despise this job is the office politics. Everytime I’ve been in a flat environment my capabilities and performance speaks for itself, but IB with its suffocating hierarchy is the complete opposite of meritocracy and there are just so many goddamn low value snakes; working under them is degrading.
What are some less corporate bullshitty / flatter hierarchy and more meritocratic roles where a smart guy with a finance background can excel in? Can think of hedge funds and maybe startups… any thoughts?
Actuary? Accountant?
Being facetious but the reality is - the mid-to-senior level roles in any organization that involves people is going to have degrees of 'politics'. Because what you are calling 'office politics' in reality is just 'human dynamics'.
Rather than having a rather fixed mind-set about this - "I hate office politics / I suck at it" - part of the answer may be asking "What parts of it can I tolerate / where are my deficiencies" and try to grow that. Regardless of how much office politics there may be at whatever job you end up at, guarantee there will be some - and increasing amounts of it at more senior levels.
Absolutely agreed and my post was more of a vent post. I’m also very aware of my deficiencies and next time around will absolutely try my best to work on them. But the reality is some of my deficiencies are just part of who I am, my personality and I’m in late 20’s so it’s not exactly feasible either to 180 who I am to fit a corporate environment.
While mid to high level roles in any large organization will inevitably involve “human dynamics” as you say, that too lies on a spectrum. For example there are smaller orgs (e.g. boutiques, startups) with flatter hierarchies or more production-based finance roles (HFs, maybe sales) that sit on the lower end of the office politics intensity spectrum. Goal of this thread is to really start that discussion, what kind of role fits let’s say a person who is incredibly talented & smart but less politically savvy by nature?
Quant fund.
L/S hedge fund - maybe? But candidly I think there's a healthy level of politics in there too. 0
Entrepreneur. Be your own boss.
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