I just graduated and feel lost

I just graduated from college and feel like a failure. I'm 24 and looking for a job and want to break into IB. I moved here from another country on a scholarship. I wasn't the smartest and got held back twice, but I kept going and graduated from a top 30 liberal arts school in May did a junior internship at a BB but they didn’t give me a return

However, I see others my age or younger doing so much better and having their lives together, while I feel lost. I want to keep going and believe in myself, but at a certain point, it makes me wonder: Do I just not have what it takes to be who I want to be? Should I be content with whatever I get?

I never understood why I always kept going, but it ended up allowing me to come all the way here from being raised by a single mother in a poor household to studying in the US.

But now I wonder if this is the world telling me that there is only much you can try.

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I don’t have the answers you’re looking for bro but I can tell you this: if you keep comparing yourself to others, you will never be happy. It is often those who appear to be doing the best that are the most depressed. Whatever you end up doing, give 100% and be the best version of yourself.

 

Et aut porro ut fugiat. Vitae et labore at quia. Aut corrupti distinctio ducimus et mollitia. Fugit voluptas pariatur eius quam non sed. Nam reiciendis aut eum quisquam. Molestias nam nihil corrupti praesentium qui.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”