What was your experience like?

Hi guys!

So these past months I have been recruiting for SA 2022 for IB and it has been draining. I don't have an offer yet, but I'm still recruiting and it's been painful. There's this huge stigma that IB is the "end all be all" and I sort of fell into that trap, but I am realizing now that there are so many other opportunities in finance I could pursue that'll give me just as great experiences that could lead to similar opportunities. I know a lot of people going into IB because of the prestige, compensation, and exit opps and after realizing it, I think I'm slowly becoming part of that crowd. Although prestige, comp, and exit opps are a reason I want to break in, I also heard many stories about how those two years you do in banking are immense in career development in regards to building a skill set you wouldn't have had done at a different position. This is another big reason I want to go into banking--- the skill sets you develop. I was curious for those who have done their time in IB, what did you truly take away from banking, and how have the skills you developed on the job helped you down the line? Also, for those that chose not to go into IB, what did you end up doing, what was your experience like, do you regret not choosing to pursue IB, and what skill sets have you developed from your position? I am also a rising junior at a well-known non-target school so any advice for me would be much appreciated!