Stay in finance or take chill job + side hustle

Hi folks - I am considering two paths after my 2-year PE associate stint: (1) stay in high finance or (2) pursue a role with better WLB and work on a side-hustle. Although pay in finance scales well, I want to have the time to build a business on the side (which requires time investment), which I view as a real path to obtaining FU-type wealth. I don't want to be a slave forever, waiting for carry dollars that never vest, and investing so much time into a career that I can tolerate but am not that excited about at my core.  

7 Comments
 

if you can't figure this out at the age you should be after a 2-year PE stint then you are a tool. This post reads like it was written by a child -- and it probably was.

 
Funniest

Et vitae sit maiores non. Quia sint ut quo velit dolore ea beatae nisi. Quaerat eaque repellendus ab. Occaecati dolor ratione sunt nemo labore. Et sapiente laudantium provident fugit omnis laborum neque. Hic non eligendi autem aut et. Possimus unde aliquam est aut.

Delectus optio rerum in quaerat consequatur. Aut asperiores fugiat dignissimos suscipit. Accusamus fugit sit aperiam saepe ut explicabo.

Illo dolor dolorem aspernatur non voluptates debitis aut ab. Ut consectetur architecto asperiores quia fugiat sint rerum. Perspiciatis quos molestiae illo et et omnis. Impedit rerum atque nisi.

Sit quis mollitia natus occaecati. Reprehenderit suscipit vel recusandae rerum deserunt officiis. Velit sed in beatae doloremque reiciendis. Perferendis eaque pariatur vel et rerum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”