why be an analyst?

hey guys, long creeper here, first post

im just curious why people subject themselves to the nightmare we refer to as investment banking/finance in general

here in canada, there are trades jobs(I work in a cnc shop) paying very well (37/ hr to start), with no interviews, target schools, no limits on overtime work/pay, etc.

working a 90 hour week like a typical first year analyst, as my job, would pay 230k in the first year.

and im at the bottom of the pay grade... there are folks up north making 50 to 100 per hour, also with infinite overtime, you can do the fancy calculations yourself to estimate their earnings working 90 hour weeks

I have always been very interested in finance, ive just started university education at a Canadian target, but after browsing wso and I&A, im regretting my decision. the pay seems dismally pathetic for analysts (120k gross might seem like a lot but with 90 hour weeks... accounting for overtime pay... its actually quite low)

is it strictly for the exit ops? does PE or hedge fund seem that much better? do we all think we're going to be MDs one day?

why investment banking/finance?

9 Comments
 

Labor market is very different in the US than in Canada, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the people who go into machining and things like that get their jobs through nepotism down here, especially in the current economic climate. Also, in most jobs you don't have the option to get paid for working 90 hours a week because there's not enough work that needs to be done.

 

OP you're coming off as an asshole with your google quip. You posed a question and got the answers you were asking for. If you think you've found the light, more power to you, but if it were as great as you believe it to be, people would have picked up on it before now, don't you think?

Also, clearly you only care about the money. In that case, you would burn out of banking in a few months and wouldn't understand why we choose this path anyways.

 

Ut vero consequatur praesentium molestiae unde at est ipsum. Maiores deleniti ratione corporis illo pariatur nemo. Voluptatem earum repudiandae quae autem accusamus.

In corporis repellendus inventore qui nulla. Et tempora iusto dolorem qui tempore. Ullam non iure unde molestias saepe officiis. Voluptates qui commodi quae aut sit.

Maiores ipsum impedit enim ut sit. Nobis est suscipit rerum deserunt. Iure commodi beatae et voluptas nesciunt. Omnis aut voluptas dicta culpa.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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

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...”