Why WSO “Tiers” Suck

TLDR; rankings on WSO are seriously flawed. If you want the truth talk to a real person.

-Everyone is lying: I guarantee not a single person here is in the role or group they claim.

“First-hand testimonials” of what it’s like at a firm are mostly hearsay at best and completely made up at worst. Typically, they are just echoing some unfounded claim from a different WSO post. Talk to real person.

-An MD leaving does not always mean they were “poached”: I promise the politics that go on at the highest levels of top banks are more complex than any of the college freshmen on here understand.

MDs move firms for a million reasons, including being pushed out for being toxic af or unproductive. You can’t judge a firm trajectory based on a few departures or hires. At least league tables are objective.

-PE placements are opaque: posters on here claim to be able to judge how well a hundred different groups place to buyside roles.

Realistically, unless you’re updating an annual Excel tracker of every firm’s placements, you shouldn’t really be opining on placement quality except in obvious situations.

-Recruiting advice: don’t judge a firm or a group until you’ve talked to a real person who is willing to give you their honest opinion. Look at a firm’s recent deals and see if they’re the type of companies you want to work on. You can even look at league tables. Just don’t waste your time on WSO rankings.

I promise if you make your recruiting decisions on whatever the most recent “prestige tier ranking” is, you will miss out on some great groups.