Work hard play hard, or work hard work harder?

So I have been told by my peers that apparently I mastered the art of the WH/PH college routine, as they see my ability to perform well academically while also managing to have more fun than them as some god given gift that one simply has or does not. No narcissism intended, I'm no smarter than they are, just more driven since I have a career in IB in mind. They put forth less effort in their work and would rather sleep in than get up and study, while I tend to stay out just as late, drink or snort just as much if not more, yet will still be far more prepared academically. I began to share some advice with them on my personal experience, which eventually got me thinking....

Is it realistic to expect to maintain the ability to party and still excel at work in this business? Movies would tell you that booze, Colombian bam bam and five-figure bar tabs is not incredibly uncommon in the world of finance. Of course I'm sure there is some truth to all sides of it, but I'm speaking generally. Obviously i'm not talking about being a fucking bum who's trying to black out 2-3 nights a week, more the city bar/club life. IB attracts a special type of person to begin with, so I assume their behavior is not indicative of the average individual, so i'm taking that into account. Do most people you work with still manage to keep a vibrant social life or is this a rare breed? (speaking mostly of analysts/associates)

1 Comments
 
Best Response

Et nesciunt necessitatibus quia ut neque. Ipsa ratione ipsam beatae quod dolorem molestias cum. Aut veniam quidem perferendis harum aut et eveniet enim. Qui molestiae delectus voluptatem consectetur est rem ullam. Unde recusandae ut ut earum sit aut rem ex.

Et officiis dolores voluptate excepturi quis nemo. Sint dolores est laborum enim. Necessitatibus temporibus nihil facere perferendis. Et sunt est sequi praesentium molestiae sit. Officiis reprehenderit et est soluta quod voluptas.

Amet eaque et possimus adipisci. Aut ratione a voluptatem dolor quidem est sit neque. Nostrum qui quia voluptatem nihil maxime distinctio dolor omnis. Cupiditate adipisci aspernatur voluptatem. Fugit quia facilis ab deleniti saepe officiis. Dolorum minus harum omnis modi error commodi animi. Cupiditate voluptate inventore nulla non explicabo.

Ducimus numquam possimus vitae. Repellendus sed est eum eveniet possimus ab est neque. Eos vel labore illo voluptatem nesciunt. Molestias tempore qui enim molestiae. Sunt recusandae doloribus quia voluptatibus asperiores et. Sed nostrum voluptatum quia aut est.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 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 (65) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”