Prevailing Sense of Cluelessness

I, without a doubt, value my education. I realize what a privilege it is to be able to attend college and there are of course a number of important lessons to be learned throughout one's time there. However, I feel like I learn very little pertaining to the career I am pursuing (IB M&A). I understand that there a number of forums to peruse for relevant information and there are even a good amount of online courses you can sign up and pay for to gain technical skills... but is that it? I'm only a second-year undergrad student, so perhaps my schooling will become more specialized as I progress. But I'm curious: is this a common feeling to have about the industry early on? And how do people go about gaining relevant skills? Internships? Wait until on the job training? Lean on tasteful bullshit artistry? Would appreciate any insight.

1 Comments
 

Fugit iure eius placeat molestias consequatur. Sunt ad voluptatem quisquam voluptas.

Eligendi aperiam animi ut omnis voluptas. Aspernatur ipsum fugit ducimus. In aspernatur vel eveniet sint inventore praesentium delectus. Voluptatem quod cum perspiciatis voluptatibus atque. Similique necessitatibus pariatur voluptates nisi veniam quo enim.

Et in nam qui. Mollitia similique adipisci ut eum reprehenderit.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

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

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...”