Is anyone else here just coasting?

Every time I come on this site, I see a lot of posts from people wanting to move to the most prestigious banks/funds, best roles, talking about total comp. Meanwhile, I’m here at a Tier 2/3 foreign bank, getting paid street, trying to coast for the next 5-10 years in a product group with good WLB until I can start my own thing. Now, if Dimon or Solomon called me offering me a position, I’d probably take it, but then again I’d really have to weigh the impact it’d have on my WLB. I like being able to play Xbox before bed at 10pm. You guys make me feel like a bum!

8 Comments
 

Only you can define what makes you happy in life. For some, it works, and they find fulfillment elsewhere. 

I did it for a few years and it ended up just making me kind of depressed. Life became somewhat dull and grey without anything to strive for and I ended up desperately trying to fill that void with hobbies or other artificial achievements that don't matter. 

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I feel you man. I moved on from the "prestigious" world to a boutique and couldn't be happier. Even in the big boy world, I hit and then stopped trying for top bucket, top exits etc. its just not worth the time and effort relative to the payoff.

Sometimes I miss being in on the big headline deals but to be honest, being out the door by 5-6 with only calls on weekends is awesome. I value my free time and having a life over optionality so the comp haircut really means nothing to me. It's not even much of a haircut , sure my base is meh but total comp haircut is barely a sliver to my peers who are still grinding away. My philosophy is that if you're good at what you do, the money follows. Comp is just validation of my ability and success, not an end goal in itself.

Professionally, I'm very fulfilled. I have awesome WLB at an eat what you kill type firm without any big bank bureaucracy, lots of flexibility in what I can and cannot pursue (no territorial bankers, internal politics etc.).

 
"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
 

Thing is, most of these posts you see are from college kids talkin' outta their ass, that likely don't even have the work ethic expected of the roles they're eyeing

 

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