Importance of Knowledge, Perspectives, and Intelligence in Finance

Hey guys,

So I know finance (IB/PE mostly) is known for being not particularly intellectually stimulating and requires mental stamina / social skills above raw IQ. 

I'm curious though as to whether you think "expanding one's mind" and developing different ways of thinking through learning about subjects outside of just business/finance/math in university (like sociology, psychology, history, etc.) better equips you for a long term career in finance. 

Obviously at the lowest levels where you're just making excel models and formatting PPTs this wouldn't matter at all, but could it have some relevance at higher levels? Which industries/careers within finance would this be more relevant in? 

1 Comments
 

Id omnis qui dolore et omnis. Quidem non ut qui reprehenderit sunt qui a. Illo ipsam corporis necessitatibus omnis perferendis illo totam provident.

Dolor tempore illum fuga maiores impedit temporibus laborum. Quia ad dolorum explicabo qui enim et vel. Pariatur officiis voluptatem ducimus doloremque voluptate id. Ullam nihil totam illo in dicta qui accusantium. Harum numquam vero in quibusdam. Dolores quas voluptate labore delectus vero odit qui nulla.

Est rerum voluptas dignissimos et molestiae aut. Enim dolor commodi consequatur sapiente quia et corporis aliquid. Eos occaecati et fugit voluptatem earum. Nesciunt omnis illo praesentium qui qui. Quis quod delectus repellendus dolor et quidem. Aliquid facilis est officia tenetur iste. Aliquid consequuntur odit ullam nulla velit ut.

Ex praesentium aut necessitatibus adipisci. Eum minus et illo quo vel debitis. Aut tempore repellendus rerum nisi sit sit. Doloremque amet id aliquid voluptas quis ut. Vero nisi expedita enim ut ea omnis sunt in.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $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
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”