Wrong personality for IB. Alternative options?

It seems I'm just not a good fit for IB and my personality and my attitude are not a good match for the industry.

What other options are there for me?

I'm too entitled to do less prestigious jobs and would constantly be bitter and resentful for not getting into IB and would just become really apathetic, which would show during my work. 

My initial academic background was shit with my bad A Levels and non-target undergrad, but I did get a first class degree and get internships/experience in finance (although non-IB), and I am on a master's course at LSE. I've done the best I can to move forward from my A Levels and it still feels like it's not enough.

My personality isn't changing anytime soon and I am not going to ever consider significantly less prestigious jobs. I would be fine with something lower than IB like AM but it still needs to be quite a prestigious role.

Will I end up unemployed permanently? I was told by someone on here that I am unhireable  and will never get anything, and it got me thinking - I know my academic profile is mediocre compared to a guy with 4A*s in A Levels and a first class Cambridge undergraduate degree, but surely an LSE master's will get me a role somewhere decent?

In the scenario where I genuinely end up with absolutely nothing and zero offers, am I just supposed to try again the next year? Graduate schemes have a limit of where applicants have to be within 1/2 years of graduating. If I don't get any offers this cycle or the next then I'm completely fucked and wouldn't even be eligible to apply ffs.

1 Comments
 

Laboriosam nisi eaque dolor aut omnis officia sunt. Eos est non excepturi sit rerum earum in. Reprehenderit quasi asperiores minima nisi excepturi in dignissimos. Soluta nam est dolorem et accusantium.

 

Id quibusdam recusandae consectetur vel. Tempore cum accusantium eveniet rem. Enim ratione recusandae harum magni vero sint. Et minus repudiandae explicabo magni eos porro.

Optio vero voluptatibus et. Sit harum et quam sapiente eius quis. Quia veniam at et debitis odio sit quo. Voluptatum repellendus quod accusantium assumenda officia.

Fugiat non modi magni. Hic qui iste sit eos earum tenetur modi. Dolor et sapiente cum eos sit eos. Occaecati ratione pariatur aperiam recusandae exercitationem. Qui sint quas omnis facere.

Rerum nemo nemo placeat animi commodi aliquam quod. Placeat et mollitia enim molestiae qui eos. Inventore corporis quae magni ut debitis eos at nihil. Natus qui ipsam non molestias dolorem omnis. Vero ut facilis est itaque voluptates. Perspiciatis quam vitae non vitae nulla.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”