swe vs ib - at a crossroads
Hi guys,
For background, I'm a third year student at a west coast target studying CS + Econ/Business. I have accepted a SA 2024 at an okay EB group.
However, as I have been taking more advanced CS classes, I realized that it's actually something I could be interested in career wise. I like finance too, but I definitely find it very mind-numbing and not something I really need to concentrate to understand.
At this point, I need to know whether it's worth applying to CS internships for 2024 or if I should just stick to IB. I don't have any real CS work experience, but have extensive projects from classes and can Leetcode as much as necessary.
Please let me know if you have any tips or advice on how to decide what to do.
Would recommend SWE if you are genuinely interest in software/coding. My background was software before swapping to IB cuz I did not like SWE (did not appeal to me mentally or career path-wise) but am a proponent of the career path. Better WLB, interesting opportunities, respectable pay. Go to tech banking if business strategy/markets/deals side of a tech company interests you more than the product/service and its creation.
You do not need to be a coding expert to get most SWE jobs. Strong leetcode and fundamentals of understanding of WHY you code things rather than only WHAT you code are key. I would still take time to learn different coding languages, do some side projects, etc., less for the resume but for your own growth.
Thanks this is rly helpful. Can I pm you?
Sure thing, dm me.
It merits some thought
one thing to consider is your expectations. Are you looking for a middle class life or you want to have a private jet?
do you like interacting with people or working alone?
Personally I was fascinated by tech my whole life. Absolutely loved it. Until I did it professionally. Then I hated it. Working as a swe is like being a brick layer. You are building to spec. Very different from self led exploration in your school classes
idk tbh. to be fair I do think you are slightly exaggerating the difference between swe and finance - i think swe can attain an upper middle class lifestyle and finance will only get you a pj if you are the best of the best and make partner at some mf or vc firm or whatever.
also idk i feel like swe is a good starting point and i can always get an mba later and try to transition more into pm roles, eventually vc but unsure about the career paths from here. do you have any more advice?
Sure! My best advise may be uncomfortable or controversial but please bear with me
It’s very important that if you do go into tech you do it in an elite way. Contrary to popular belief tech needs to be even more elite than banking and other careers
the problem is that performance is very hard to measure for engineers (compared to say a hedge fund where you can observe returns). And teasing out individual performance vs the team is even harder.
so despite the low barriers to entry in tech. You really want to go in with that MIT degree, PHD, startup founder, or McKinsey experience. You need something to set you apart from all the other boneheads and is a signal of quality
it is also surprisingly hard to move from swe to PM. Why? Because no one wants to let their good coders progress or career change. Once you’re good they want to keep you in place
if you do go into tech, I’d strongly advise starting as a PM. It will give you the most flexibility and options should you change your mind
think of verticals on a spectrum (Tech) swe / architect / product manager / product marketer / sales (Market). With corp dev/IB/strategy as a support function somewhere in the middle
at most you can jump 2 rungs at a time. So swe to strategy is a hard leap but PM to strategy an easy one.
The better question.
Why do you want to do finance?
Why do you want to do CS?
Both fields will pay reasonably above the poverty level.
The best solution here (esp if you goto Stanford) is to drop out, or take a leave of absence to try out tech/swe. If you like the SWE/tech lifestyle and work you do, great!, If not you can return to school and do something else.
The only reason you wouldn't take my advice to drop out/take a leave of absence is if you care more about prestige than feeling content in life.
don’t go to Stanford, but go to another top california school for cs and econ/business. Idk to me dropping out or taking leave seems too risky - for banking it would completely ruin the schedule of things and for cs I don’t think it would be ideal either. Idk I’m pretty lost right now but I gotta figure out what I want. I find both cs and finance interesting for different reasons but do find myself applying myself more when I’m doing cs work.
i'm going to give you the real advice that no one else will tell u lol
while it's possible to theorize which career is optimal and bring the most fulfillment; 99% of people can't accurately predict this even for themselves.
the best way to figure out which job/career path you'd enjoy more is to try out both pathways. (something 99% of people on this site won't do until much later think either post analyst stint or like never)
now this is when everyone brings out the pitchforks and starts shouting but my opportunity costttt
and to that i'd say, isn't better to have enjoyed your working years potentially? isn't that worth something
to add on to that: you've mentioned you've found both CS and finance interesting, but those aren't necessarily reasons to even pursue them professionally. like isn't basket weaving fun and interesting too?
If you want to do CS, do CS. If it’s a toss up between CS and finance, do CS. If you’re 70% convinced on finance and 30% considering CS, do CS. If you’re convinced 100% on finance then do finance.
My reasoning; about 30% of my friends in finance are satisfied or very satisfied with their career path, and about 70% are disappointed or miserable. On the tech side about 90% of my friends are satisfied or very satisfied with their career path, and about 10% are disappointed or miserable (and I’m pretty these 2 guys just have actual depression so it’s not the career). Anecdotally the people I know in tech just have way more life and career satisfaction, so that seems like the way less risky bet. Also tend to live closer to their family and have relationships.
If you’re like me and many others that are or were 100% all-in on finance, then stay the course and see where the journey takes you.
Hi omg I was an IB intern at a top BB, hated it, and am doing CS at FAANG now. Do CS if you want to live your life.
CS kind of blows tho
90% satisfaction for tech seems a bit high
fr, most swes I know in big tech are bored af. those at startups either really like or really hate the work
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