Signed Offer During Oncycle I Regret

Was in a somewhat situation. Had a non-NYC UMM/MF analyst offer from undergrad and turned it down for a NYC EB. My friends and family thought it was a good idea, but people on WSO would definitely give me a ton of a shit for it. Looking back, it was definitely the right move. Location is a major factor, especially for social reasons. Ended up getting a better fund during on-cycle, but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t change my decision

Are you not excited about the job either, or is it just the change to the West Coast?

Moving to a new city is always scary. When I came to NYC I knew precisely 0 people (literally, 0) and I have a thriving social life now. I know people that have moved to SF, Chicago, Denver, Austin etc. for jobs while barely knowing anyone and they did fine. I think give it a shot, and if you're really struggling still after 6 months, start looking.

Remember most people in large cities are transplants. It's definitely intimidating at first but millions of people have made the switch before you and did just fine. 

If you can, take a weekend off work, and fly to the West Coast. Bring a friend with you if you want to. Meet some people from your new team for coffee, and check out the city for a few days. Guarantee it's not as bad as you think!

If the only problem is the location (still want a career in PE, still like the fund's investment style/the sector you'll be in) then I wouldn't worry at all. It can be really fun to try out a new city, especially on the west coast where weather is nice, there's beaches etc. I would try it out and then worst case you lateral as a senior associate after a year or so.

You would be surprised also at how many people that you know will be moving to LA or SF in a year or two. This happened to me watching all my peers move over.

You’re going to be spending 80%+ of your time at work anyway. If you’re excited by the firm and work you’ll be doing there, you’ll deal with the location - it’s only for two years!

Was in a very similar situation following my banking stent in nyc. Decided to stick with the role in a new geography. The experience moving to a new city, without a social net, during WFH was extremely challenging, but I learned a lot about myself and what I want from life during that time. Ultimately, I’m glad I took the chance because I feel a deeper sense of self confidence / self reliance that I don’t think I would have developed staying put. When I look back on that decision in 10-15 years I’ll be happy with the choice I made but there were certainly times that I kicked myself for leaving when I first moved.

Nothing is permanent so don’t overthink your decision. Life is an adventure; live it up.

Hey weird enough I know of your situation / of people in your shoes. Funny enough described the same way.If you PM me the firm name I might be able to tell you 1-2 things culture wise from people there but no worries if not.I'd recommend going and checking it out (I’m curious if this is the place I’m thinking about too / what place it is either way). If location is the factor I think you should just try it (if this is an example of a condition you would avoid making an otherwise good decision, you should reevaluate your risk tolerance) so you can better temper your decisions later. Its unlikely you're staying in NYC forever, so better to make adjacent but equal moves earlier while you're the MOST able to pivot socially etc and explore more outdoors stuff (eg weekends in Tahoe or something).

Don't renege on a job you otherwise like solely because of location. Make an effort to find friends out there, and if you hate it lateral out in 1 year. If it helps you, look at this as a 1 year commitment and if you don't like it the clock is counting down pretty quick.