Non-IB Finance alternatives?
I'm a high school senior, and am trying to figure out a career path for myself. IB has been on my mind for a long time almost entirely due to comp, but I have always prioritized work/life balance over wealth. My thinking has been work in IB from 22->30s and be stingy all the way through to accumulate a lot of capital to start living "financially independent". Something along the lines of stock market, real estate or starting a business is what I would do with this accumulated capital.
That being said, I am starting to realize that I can accumulate a lot of wealth without having to slave 100 hour weeks, but rather being more conscious of expenses and being diligent with savings/investments. I am very interested in finance (hence my initial desire to pursue IB), so I am wondering what would be a job within finance that has high comp but with more manageable working hours (40-60). HF seems awesome, but hard to get into without slaving away in my 20s. Is corporate finance the best option? Do you guys have any opinions/experiences about taking such a job compared to IB? Will taking a job with less hours/comp still make my goal of financial independence achievable?
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You're welcome.
Corporate Finance you really don't even earn that much. Just try to go for IB, spend a few years doing that, then open something of your own. The richest and happiest people I know own their own businesses.
Thank you for your comment. Are there any fields in finance apart from IB (and fields requiring IB experience like HF or PE) that offer decent comp ($100k+ all-in as a 1st year)?
No dude, there basically aren’t. That’s the whole point. That’s why IB is so popular.
Corporate Banking? Sales and trading? Really depends.
Dude why don't you just do a job that naturally lets you do your own thing? Something like accounting (tax especially), law, or medicine?
I have no interest in any of the fields you mentioned. I would enjoy something more “gamey” like stock market or real estate.
none of the finance jobs mentioned on this thread involve the stock market. If that's your interest, you should look at the asset management industry. The pay scales well and work-life balance is significantly better than IB across the board
Well I like finance in general (except accounting I guess), so I’m just looking for finance paths that fit my goals/desires. The stock market/re comment was more-so referring to once I’m able to become self-employed or something. I don’t mind doing work that isn’t my DREAM job, as long as it is getting me towards it. I view IB as a way to get myself to financial “independence” (save enough money to live off investments), but the cons of IB caused me to create this thread to see if there are other paths within finance that will also get me to my goal, albeit a bit slower. Thanks for mentioning asset management, I will definitely look into it as I’m thinking of my future.
I also hate accounting but like finance. I worked corporate finance for 4 years, mainly analyzing financial operations of projects for the Department of Defense at a major consultancy.
I think if you look into corporate finance at F500 companies or Financial Leadership Development Programs you will find some interesting paths that eventually lead to CFO depending on how long you stay at the company.
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