Feels unreal (worried about starting SA 2022 role)
Can’t believe that I made it through recruiting and landed an offer at a top MM (JEF/Blair/HL). I am very grateful and want to thank everyone on here for being such a supportive group. Honestly, if it wasn’t for WSO, I didn’t know how I would get through with all this.
However, even though I am extremely happy about this opportunity of a lifetime, there are still a few things that worry me. First, my family and HS friends have absolutely no idea what it is that I have landed. It’s tough when I try to explain what it is that I do and they’re just lost. No, I will be not be working at a bank branch. No, this isn’t just an “internship”, this will be the time for me to showcase my skills for full time. Then I speak to these other kids who had their entire damn family work in IB, PE or high finance roles. My family did quite well for themselves through “unsexy” businesses and we live a comfortable life in the upper middle class, but not the country club golf every weekend with daddy’s rich pals or vacation home on the beach. The neighborhoods and people I grew up in early on during my childhood are places most people on here wouldn’t have even set foot in (yeah some really were that bad). I see myself as a very confident person who doesn’t take shit, but wanted to know if anyone else was in my position, or currently maybe. Were you feeling out of place before going into the role? I know I’ll keep my head down and grind, but how did some of you handle the pressure?
I am a capitalist to the max and believe hard work makes anything possible, but I can’t get this feeling out of place thought out of my head. Hell, I’m going to potentially make $200k as a 22 year old out of college, which just sounds fucking insane to me on its own. I never made more than 15k a year and now I am on my way to make almost 10k on top of that in 10 weeks. Still feels so unreal.
My goal right now is to just do as much prep wether that be with PP, Excel, modeling, etc. I know I have nothing to prove and deserve the role and will try to better myself as next summer comes in.
Appreciate your thoughts
1) relax. You grinded for yourself and you only. If your friends don’t understand your position, who cares.
2) just prepare and talk to your group.
3) get laid
Absolutely love this advice haha
This might hurt your ego but nobody cares you work in investment banking. Don’t let it get to your head. Sure, my mom loves to brag that I work on Wall Street but nobody besides her cares. There will always be someone far richer than you. There will always be someone with a far more sexy job than you (model, tiktoker, hedge fund, luxury brand reviewer you name it). You might think Banking is exciting but nobody outside of banking cares. Just take your money and put it in your pocket and humble yourself. The people who know banking are the only ones who need to know. It’s like Cargill, they aren’t a household name like Buffett, bezos. Or musk but any super wealthy family knows the cargill-Macmillan clan.
The responder above you has a bit of a point, but I actually think it's good (and maybe a bit relaxing!) for you to hear. The most important thing right now to worry about is being happy and enjoying yourself. When it comes time for your SA role to start, just grind as hard as you did before. Don't worry about what other people think or what you've done in the past. None of that matters now. Focus exclusively on getting the full time offer.
And yes, the money and prestige is nice, but most people are not ready for the work and environment when they get there. I may work in LO AM now after some time at a top MM / lower EB (HL/Roth/GHL), but it was never the number of hours that got to me during my time. A lot of people fail to recognize the culture that exists at most of these companies compounded with the amount of time that makes the work so difficult.
Focus on getting that offer. The money isn't yours yet, but if you focus hard it will be soon. Be grateful and do not approach the situation with worry. Approach it with a mindset of abundance and confidence. You can do it. Be prepared to endure a difficult 10 weeks, but you can do it!
Ur friends will understand what ur Rolex is
Congrats! I accepted an IB offer at one of the balance sheet banks with a large retail presence. I feel like people think I’m going to be a bank teller when I tell him where I’m going next summer lol. Just say you’re going to work on Wall Street. Then they kinda understand.
WF or Citi I'm assuming?
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