Is There an Industry Where You Can Have Big Success That’s Not Location Dependent?

Certain careers basically force you to live in a specific zip code if you want to reach the top. If you want to be a successful singer or actor, you naturally head to Los Angeles. If you’re looking to build a tech startup, it’s San Francisco; for a major finance career, it’s New York. It feels like if you don’t move to one of these hubs, "big" success is incredibly hard to achieve. The only real counter-examples I can think of are content creation, where you can become a millionaire from literally anywhere, or building a successful local business. Outside of those, is it even possible to reach the pinnacle of an industry without being in the "right" city, or are we still tethered to these geographic gatekeepers? Curious to hear your thoughts.


 

2 Comments
 

Commercial Real Estate. It exists in every city (and many small towns even). 

It's far easier to break into the industry in a gateway city, as that is where companies and investors naturally come together, but you can reach the pinnacle anywhere. 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

Expedita numquam omnis et sunt. Natus quo inventore a omnis sunt pariatur. Totam ut perferendis et nisi. Sed saepe odio tempora voluptas. Optio numquam optio aperiam cum.

Sed amet voluptates est expedita odio. Libero rem labore cum sunt repudiandae ut. Doloremque qui incidunt est totam. Non quo enim quis id consequatur voluptatem vel. Non ad beatae dolorum nobis eligendi officia similique incidunt. Magnam vero possimus perferendis sunt magnam aliquam totam.

Hic illum suscipit non nesciunt autem earum incidunt. Sed distinctio ut eum quisquam cum et. Doloribus cupiditate et laborum minima qui. Fugit perspiciatis adipisci voluptatem qui voluptatem molestias harum. Molestias qui qui accusantium ad modi illo accusantium ea.

Aut dolores minima nemo quia atque rerum. Qui atque aut voluptas blanditiis autem. Dolorem odio dolor dolor aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”