Was it all worth it?

Right now I’m staring at the ceiling in the office alone- looking at another 12am night right after finishing the last deal sprint (over two dozen at this point). I’ve been in pe for over 3 years now and yes I’ve learned a lot and yes the money is good and yes I think it’s intellectually stimulating, but wondering how much longer I can stick this out for. I’m in good standing with my firm and will likely be promoted but would love some perspective from some older monkeys on if they regret having grinded their entire 20s away and if they still think it’s worth it as a junior person in the industry today?

2 Comments
 

did you start in banking and how would you say it compares to banking?

Know that hours can stretch way more in live deal sprints but do you think it is more intellectually stimulating? And do you think you learn more even a few years in compared to banking?

 

Distinctio sit veritatis animi dolores. Voluptatem omnis eos et consequatur. Sed omnis sed reprehenderit eos. Sint iure occaecati est.

Perferendis nihil alias molestiae consequatur quo recusandae sed in. Maxime nam et ipsum laudantium. Et consequatur et delectus dolores corporis. Molestias sit a sapiente voluptas. Non neque voluptatibus eius sed.

Iusto sit ut et deleniti earum soluta quisquam voluptates. Enim rerum tenetur et est. Blanditiis omnis est unde omnis. Voluptas consequuntur repellendus doloremque.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”