Reality Check

Recently wrapped up IB SA recruiting and I'm baffled at the superiority complex that lives within this industry. Granted, some of it is rooted in trolls/jokes, but there are definitely real cases of ppl thinking they're better than someone else bc of being at a "better" bank. EOD, it's just a job & means to an end. And just an fyi, I signed w/ a top EB, so no, I'm not a salty college kid.

I remember when starting out, simply breaking in was a far-fetched goal I could only dream of achieving. I'm sure the same could be said for many of you here. It's a similar scenario where ppl will troll a top nba/nfl draft pick for being a bust, despite the fact that their life/families lives are forever changed. Obv the pay between IB and pro sports isn't apples to apples, but simply making it deserves an applause. One shouldn't have to put others down to make oneself feel better. It's some elementary school playground behavior.

6 Comments
 

I think it's because you're an SA you haven't yet experienced the real world. Trust me in the working world nobody really cares, you speak to people outside the industry and they've never heard of 95% of these places, even people that work in 'Finance' or Accounting, Law etc who you think will know, but, still haven't heard of many of these firms. Honestly just put your head down and focus on yourself, that is what I learnt over time hahaa

 

This prestige stuff is really just an “intra-sector” phenomenon and shouldn’t cause you any stress.

When I tell people I work in finance, the average person on the street thinks I am either 1) a bank teller or 2) a financial advisor that tells people what stocks to buy.

Focus on yourself (mental + physical health), family and friends. You don’t go to your death bed with a printout of your bank’s league table.

 
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I would just try to ignore the noise and focus on your own definition of success. Sounds like you surprised even yourself by landing a top role, so first off, Congrats!

I know for myself, much of what I have accomplished would not be impressive / prestigious to a large portion of this user base. However, I know the odds were against me from the beginning, and I had to work extremely hard to get to where I am today. If others are unimpressed, that is fine by me. In your case, most will be impressed by your accomplishments, but that should be irrelevant. 

The people trolling and looking down on other opportunities are not really the brighest and they typically tie their entire identity to their work. One example on why this is so dumb is the whole DB not a BB memes. I know a guy who worked at DB, and had to hustle to get there. He then went on to a top BB, and then later a MF. This is why it is important to set your own goals and then to surpass them, ignoring the majority of the trolls on here

 

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