You should probably leave IB
I began an exit process with my firm recently after working in banking for around 2 years. Today, after getting clarity about what it will look like to be free and getting off work at 5pm, it all hit me, and hit me hard. First, I entered banking because it was “prestigious” and earns you a ton of money. Very surface level perspective. At the time of entering the industry, I thought having a ton of money would make me live a dream lifestyle and didn’t care that I’d “sacrifice” my health, my wellbeing, my family, love life and hell, my HUMANITY, to do this job. Well, all those sacrifices are necessary to do this job long term, point blank. Nobody doing this job is fully experiencing humanity. It’s impossible with the lack of sleep and consistency it brings to your life. Anyways, I gave it a go and went for it. Not to get too in the weeds, but I fell out of love fast, and hit rock bottom over the past 2 months. I realized that life isn’t one dimensional, that I don’t want to be like those older bankers with crazy eye bags and so much money they never get to enjoy. I want to be human. I want to be happy. Everyone at the junior level at my firm / others I’ve spoken to has similar feelings and desires to quit, and I don’t even know one person who likes the job. I took the leap and don’t have an exact plan for what’s next, but I feel unbelievably happy and human for the first time in literally forever. Also, from a perspective of value add, banking, PE, trading, etc. don’t have anything on founders, creators, engineers, etc. I’ll be entering a more creative area and encourage everybody to at least question whether this job is making them fulfilled and look at things first principles with depth; don’t approach your life at a surface level. What do you really want? What are you going to do with your life? What do you truly value? Do you want to be free? If you’re looking for that inspiration, motivation or “permission” to make that jump, here it is. I know that taking this leap, no matter what comes to fruition, is the best decision I’ve ever made. I wrote this because I want people to realize there’s more to life and you can actually just do things. You really can. Good luck to everybody reading this and enjoy your life - you only get one on Earth.
Sounds good
Ok
We don’t care lil bro
You do realize that you’re asking a site filled with some of the biggest banking hardos to quit a job that they jack off to every night right.
Ok agreed but where are you going next? Any tips on landing non conventional (non-PE) exits?
im in strategic finance and somehow make more than I did in IB but still similiar hours and stress
damn ok is the additional money worth it at least or are you gonna move again?
How did you find this job?
After college i’m trying to break in IB do you have any advice.
If you re interested I left to start finance and honestly never looked back. i cannot believe how few people actually consider smth else apart from PE as an actual exit. Even after exiting I was questioning whether I missed out on PE, but honeslty best thing i ve done. To the point where I actually started a substack about it because so many people would DM me about not wanting to do PE, or having gone to PE and really not loving it either. It s called "off track by design" if you wanna check it out. So i speak to tens of people considering exactly that on a monthly basis, so finally people are waking up more to non PE exits thankfully!
womp womp dude stop gaslighting
I agree 100%
I can tell you needed to get this off your chest. And if you feel vindicated by it, then that’s excellent for you. What works for some may not work for others, and vis-versa.
The problem is when the message turns from an op-ed into a prescription for others. We all understand the sacrifices we make by taking the IB/PE path. And regardless of what you do with your life, there will always be suffering / trade-offs in some form. Just want to make sure you understand there is no free lunch. Regardless, godspeed.
dude been dying to say this LMFAOOOOOOO
Lil bro wrote an op-ed about humanity and how he will be leaving behind the hell of IB for a more creative, impactful life just to go to a strategic finance gig with the same stress and hours lmfao. Get the hell out of here.
The person who replied abt the strategic finance role was not me (OP) lmao
oh my bad lol
OP here - let me clear some things up. If you love IB/PE and/or are truly convinced the sacrifice is worth it to you (not just what you’ve been told by peers but actually believe it’s worth it), I’m not trying to stop you from staying. From my experience in speaking with lots of other juniors in the industry, virtually everyone hates this job, and I’m just saying you can use your free will to do something else and don’t have to make yourself suffer if you don’t want to. If this gets even one person who is miserable in this job to realize they can really do something else and really anything that the laws of physics allow, I feel it’s worth it. Not trying to prove anyone else wrong, but simply bringing in a perspective a lot of others internally agree with but don’t act on.
“I’ll be entering a more creative era” - OK bro. Create deez nuts on your chin
You lowkey got me there 😂
I’m shaking and crying right now. Truly one of the posts of all time.
brother or sister, there is massive virtue in being concise:
"After two years of destroying my health in investment banking, seeing exhausted senior leadership convinced me to quit without a plan. Walking out at 5:00 PM on one afternoon seems to confirm the wisdom of a decision that will impact the remainder of my professional life."
since we do only get one life, no one wants to spend it reading a lengthy screed. good luck
Jesus Christ - hopefully in this new ‘creative era’ you learn how to start a new paragraph. Also you don’t have any perspective on what being a senior banker entails (yet alone, mid-level). Not the job for you - that’s fine gotta follow your own path. But spare the world your conclusions about what occupations are morally superior to others
The Socrates of our time
lol'd
Hey man I agree but as someone else noted this site is full of weird striver types
gayest post I've read on this website
if you don't jerk off to Barbarians at the Gate you shouldn't even do banking
Did you link an amazon referral code into your WSO comment?
no Patrick does it himself automatically, clipping a coin at every corner
I think the biggest trap is confusing the ability to afford a good life with actually having one.
Banking is great at giving you a scoreboard — comp, title, exits, prestige — so you can spend years winning a game without stopping to ask if you even want the prize. And the opportunity cost is easy to ignore because it doesn't show up on your W-2.
Good for you for making a decision based on what you actually want rather than what looks good on paper. More people should do that math honestly.
Sounds familiar ...
Least obvious fear mongering post
It’s not that deep bro. It’s just a job, do it or don’t do it.
Exactly lol - these emotional word vomits are hilarious. OP needs therapy
Hi, i want to join investment banking and I have many questions
At the senior level banking pays high cash, no worries about market moves, and don’t have stupid granular processes like PE. Plus easiest to move up vs buyside. Sucks for 5-10 years but that’s any job. I think DCM/ECM at a good bank is one of the easiest and best WLB ways to get to stable 7 figure job once you are late 30s.
Put the fries in the bag, man
Shakespeare of our generation said a lot of words, and some of them make sense.
To the younger guys, you should think about what you’re doing with your life and how you spend your time and what gives you fulfillment or joy or stimulation etc.
It’s never too late to do something. Life is short. Don’t become a walking husk. If you can do IB and justify that it’s serving you and find ways to stay healthy and make time for what matters at least here and there, by all means stay in the show.
If you’re walking around dead inside and you never have anything in your day to look forward to…
…and you’re past the first 2 years in the role…
… make a change.
That being said as a guy in my late 20s past the analyst years I’m going pretty fucking hard making $350kish a year, saving a lot, traveling, in great shape working out 10 hours a week, learning a ton still everyday, my MDs ball insanely fucking hard too taking their wives and children all over the world on crazy trips. I’m not saying it’s a dream come true but shit I’m having fun and got multiple areas of life that energize me and that I’m making progress in, after analyst years it’s not all doom & gloom like Shakespeare suggests especially if you’re good. It ain’t that deep.
Pretty low comp for that high in IBD - what level are you?
Natus deserunt sint labore blanditiis est. Perferendis dolores voluptate illo aut nisi ea. Unde enim omnis voluptatem velit. Sed similique ipsam porro repudiandae laboriosam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Possimus est non tenetur debitis. Doloribus quas voluptas corrupti delectus et quo optio. Sunt veritatis unde dolor tempore.
Quo similique omnis asperiores ut voluptates voluptates omnis. Harum voluptatem tenetur quis possimus quod. Eaque nesciunt quae amet velit cupiditate deleniti. Et sit accusamus natus iusto.
Et deserunt reprehenderit assumenda dolorem culpa non. Fuga molestias non voluptatem sed ducimus dolor. Animi quis enim ut laboriosam eos officiis. Aperiam nobis vero qui dolorem deserunt ducimus officia.