17 Comments
 

Ah, the jungle of investment banking can sometimes be a bit of a banana fight, can't it? Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some signs that might indicate a group is toxic:

  1. Unreasonable Demands: If you're seeing requests for "favors" that involve non-urgent tasks being treated as if they're urgent, especially during times when you should be off the clock (like weekends or late nights), that's a red flag.

  2. Poor Treatment of Subordinates: Analysts or associates who scream at their team, engage in destructive behavior (like cutting headphone wires), or berate employees for trivial actions are clear indicators of a toxic environment.

  3. Lack of Respect: If there's a person with a bad reputation within the organization, and experienced individuals confirm they've had issues in the past, it's a sign that the toxicity isn't just perceived but is recognized across the board.

  4. Sycophantic Behavior: Groups where individuals are overly obsequious, often at the expense of others, can create a toxic atmosphere where honest effort is overshadowed by brown-nosing.

  5. Physical and Mental Health Strain: If the work environment is so intense that it's affecting your health and you find no time for self-care, it's a sign that the group may be pushing too hard.

  6. Identity Boundaries Violation: When a group or individuals within it do not respect your personal values, thoughts, feelings, or right to make decisions for yourself, it's a sign of a toxic culture.

Remember, it's like swinging through the trees – you've got to watch out for the branches that might trip you up. Keep an eye out for these signs, and you'll be better equipped to navigate the jungle!

Sources: How the hell do you stay healthy in sweat shop groups?, To All the IB Analysts - Think About How You Treat Your Interns, Response to 'PE Associate Jumps to Death' -> Resources and Tips for those who may be struggling, To All the IB Analysts - Think About How You Treat Your Interns, The IB forum has been equal parts helpful and toxic.

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

Time the market, if its a really dry job market and a firm/team consistently has a posting up, be extra cautious. Chances are the group is a shithole. 

if you recruit for a lateral position in the current market, chances are its gonna be a bad position. No one wants to leave so there aren't openings in like, normal groups and the ones that try to recruit are recruiting for a reason (people left and its so so lean that they immediately need people) 

 

If it's a smaller group and you notice that there are multiple side chats from the main group chat, each smaller group is excluding one person from the main group or a couple, aka gossip city and they actually spend energy to figure out which group excludes which person to talk about them. This could include smaller chats with execs and managers talking and gossiping and tattling about people. Run Run far away. 

 

This is epic. Have a colleague tries to be friendly to everyone all of a suddent with whom i speak, no matter who. And loves to fake laughs to show social dominance with 0 brains.

 

Biggest tell is probably the amount of churn IMO

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

No smiling on company website headshots (not always the case, but an indicator). 

Have compassion as well as ambition and you’ll go far in life. I am interested in digital immortality. Check out my blog at digitalimmortality.com
 

MD slaps you in the face 2x

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Nobis quisquam sunt aut. Soluta quo excepturi dignissimos sint vel. Sapiente ipsam voluptates similique sit. Natus rerum beatae laborum suscipit laboriosam.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”