We may have overstated everything about banking

Woke up early today and thought about an argument I had with a new analyst in my group yesterday, as I was looking for exit opportunities. I was thinking about CorpFin and CorpDev positions and working with HHs on it. I mentioned a FP&A director position at a startup, treasury and IR roles at different companies.

He was shocked I would consider positions that are so 'underwhelming' and 'not intellectually challenging'. I realized he doesn't know how many people at top banks' capital group and ER analysts dream about those positions and it's not uncommon for bankers or PE investors to exit there.

Then I felt there may have been a systematic prestige misconception among junior bankers. If anything, those positions are more technical-heavy than banking. How much have we overstated the excitement of changing colors and fonts in PPT and adjusting logos for pitchbooks 16hrs a day?

5 Comments
 

I know a couple new analysts at different coverage groups would 'jump right on it' for a commitment letter deal and get an erection for a 'potential M&A'

 

I do this this is the case sometimes, there’s threads about this here but especially a ton on r/FinancialCareers. Obviously this is person-specific, but if there’s a particular industry that you like, I feel like CorpDev would be a really great opportunity since you’re closer to the actual business and can really leverage your M&A experience, at least that seems to be the general consensus.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

At occaecati minus dignissimos voluptates. Aut enim eius sapiente eveniet fuga et amet. Cumque fugiat rem ut aut. Qui exercitationem similique omnis delectus vitae ullam.

Minus occaecati non voluptatem suscipit. Facilis explicabo aliquid inventore quis occaecati eum odit. Harum esse perspiciatis sit et. Aspernatur consequatur ipsa voluptatem provident quis est quia.

Dolorem sit non delectus et cupiditate dolore repellendus. Vel facere quo quia. Voluptatem repellat eos quasi nulla nesciunt nisi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”