Some reflections 10 years in...

The hardest part of your career will be managing the difference between the external perception of yourself and who you see yourself as. 

I've been on this site for a dozen years give or take 1-2. It's helped me through every career transition. I'd like to provide some thoughts while the moment strikes me because I learned a lot, in my early 20s, from the folks who were 10+ years ahead of me who wrote down their thoughts.

I've worked at a few top shops, gone to business school, traveled the world, been fired, been the #1 ranked in my cohort, watched my parents become elderly, made friends, lost friends, gotten married, and settled into "the rest of life" when you are flying a plane wherever you choose, rather than the 2+2+MBA track.

One of the interesting things about deal jobs is that there are highs and lows. You objectively know that deals die, teams retrade, and you objectively know you'll be excited when a great one is coming together because you put it together. But even though you know this, you will still be subject to the emotions of the ride. 

I think that's OK. I think you should lean into that. I have. The highs and lows are to be taken together. Losing a deal, a retrade, an underperforming management team. No objective knowledge about the lows will help you feel less anxious and despondent when they strike.

And when you have the highs, when you are making money hand over fist, you know they will not last. Life will go back to normal. But it doesn't matter. Because you have them, you can enjoy them. There is no reason to diminish that. It's the positive version of having to feel the lows; you have to feel the highs the same way.

I think that's what I want to impart. It's OK to be anxious about your next job, it's OK to be stressed about your career and ambitious. It's OK to be on the hedonic treadmill. There are so many people who preach life outside of work, family, etc., don't worry about your job. They're right, full stop. But it doesn't mean you can't still be in the rat race, and on the hedonic treadmill. That's your prerogative. If you choose that this year, you're entitled to that, and it doesn't mean you have to do it next year. The rat race is OK. It's fine to get caught up in it. Just know what you're doing. Having an ambition is a drug. It gives as much as it takes. 

I also want to emphasize paying it forward. I would 100% not be here if it was not for people on WSO. I mean that. @WallStreetOasis.com this forum has the power to change people's lives. I had no idea what Wall Street was when I graduated college and I have held 3x finance jobs since. Every single time I get a cold email or a LinkedIn DM I answer it. You should too. Because whenever someone answers my cold emails, I know they're paying it forward. It would be deeply selfish to not do the same at every possible turn. 

These are my two points. These things will get you pretty far so long as you have your personal affairs in check. Hope this resonates. Let me know if so and if not, keep it to yourself.