What is the best moment in your career?
Hello all,
Of course we are all used to the horror stories and shit posts of IB,PE etc. but I thought maybe we could have a little positivity on this thread. What is/was the best moment of your career? Can be best story, most memorable, best feeling, but what is a good moment you guys have had in IB, or what is something that made you happy?
The 60 seconds of looking at your bank account after the bonus $$$ hits before feeling empty and realizing you have another 365 days until you’ll get that feeling again
Couple IB stories come to mind... IDK if these are my favorite stories but certainly felt good in the moment
I can point to a moment recently in my career:
In my prior role, I started to feel a mix of anguish and anxiety with the role due to a variety of factors (management and staff turnover plus a certain lack of direction for acquisition opportunities). I got the sense in the prior months that changes were coming for my team (which was confirmed in the subsequent months in both expected and unexpected ways). Anyways, I remember I started recruiting for roles that were essentially a step up or two from my role at that time putting my best foot forward.
In the following months, I get involved with different processes proceeding at differing paces. For one role in particular, I was in process for multiple weeks with different interviews, a case study and other kinds of tests that raised my eyebrows a bit given the level of role I was recruiting for in light of my experience. After a few weeks in process, I remember the day the VP for the group I was recruiting for informed me that the Company would no longer proceed with my candidacy for the role. I was crushed given the role was exactly in the region I wanted to be in and given how much effort I put into landing the role. On top of that, I was told this the same day I had an important meeting with management where I got the sense that my career was stalling out at the firm to the point I made a note to myself to leave by the end of that year no matter what.
The very next day, went through a different set of interviews with a different role I was also in process with, and a few hours later to my pleasant surprise, received an offer for my now current job (which was a massive step up from the prior role and saved my life in so many ways).
Life can be quite a journey!!
Getting promoted to SVP. I had to put in my bid for that a full year before it happened. Was told it was possible but the stars have to align just right (the team has to expand, HR has to approve the spot, I had to apply as a candidate, etc.). I worked my ass off that year and delivered two massive projects along the way, enough to win an award for 1 of them. At mid-year review was told that it was looking positive but still no guarantees. Worked even harder after that. Then in December I was told that a spot was opening up and I could apply. Applied, got the promotion 3 weeks later. I didn't care about the money, I wanted the responsibility. But of course there was a good bump in salary and SVP makes you eligible for the management bonus pool which is a much bigger bonus. I was really proud of myself for getting there and opening up that door - it's hard to achieve longer term goals like this but I did it!
Similar story to GoingToBeAnMD. Getting promoted to MD.
I was the “go-to guy” for the most prolific MD at my firm who decided to leave. With few exceptions, the rest of the MDs at my firm were pretty shit: originated bad deals, little M&A experience (didn’t know how to do deals and had nothing to teach me). Forced me to have to take care of myself: I needed to be my own MD. Communicated that to senior management. While they liked me a lot, they thought I was being too aggressive. At my mid-year review, the Head of IBD spoke to me and basically said: “You are on MD track, but it will take you a few years… Don’t rush”.
I have a stellar year that same year: Originate my first two deals, close one, close a marquee (house account) deal for my firm as the lead banker, also stepped in and saved a few deals that other MDs bungled. Outperformed most (if not all) the other MDs on metrics the that mattered: pipeline development, deals originated, deals closed, fees generated etc. Constantly reiterated that I wanted the promotion. Was constantly told to “chill”. But by the end of that same year, it was officially announced that I would be the newest MD promote.
Similar to GoingToBeAnMD, I actually didn’t do it “for the money” per se. I could have had an easy life being a very strong #2 for some of the other MDs. I would have been paid well and I was enough of a BSD that I could decide how hard I wanted to work. But I just couldn’t stand working for and taking direction from the inferior quality MDs. I also wanted the responsibility.
A couple over my (very) short career:
1) From college: Combo of getting to tell my mom that I got my (then) dream job at Bain and later that I would graduate with honors--I come from a very low-income background and I was the very first in my family to go to college, so going from a trailer park to a job at MBB was the greatest accomplishment that I had ever done
2) At Bain: Had massive imposter syndrome and didn't fit in, so figured I'd just try to revert back to "servant mode" like I was used to from a low-income background, and I had my first really big professional development chat with my supervisor. She asked how I thought it was going, and candidly said that I thought I was doing the right stuff but felt like I was out of step, she let me finish and then said, "Honestly, you are doing everything right and you're far ahead of where I'd expect you to be. Just keep doing whatever you're doing." That along put me on a 2-month high, and she become a close friend and mentor. Didn't last in the next case, but it was great while it did last :)
3) Current LMM PE: Came into a lot less structured program than Bain and decided to be as proactive as possible, and do all I could to make the fund make money, provide value, etc. Few months later, was included in a meeting with the partners and they mentioned, "If you need anything you can always go to KHC, he's very, very capable." I was taken aback because I didn't know what they thought of me, and then on the way out of the meeting I was chatting with a partner in the parking lot, and told me that I was far exceeding expectations and was at the upper end of my range, and then let me know premptively that he would knock down the doors of H/S/W to help me get in when I wanted to. I felt crazy validated and like I truly belonged.
I guess when it boils down to it, my best moments where when I was recognized for doing a good job, even when I didn't know what people thought about me. Makes me want to do that with people that I manage later in life.
Appreciate you asking this question, it put a smile on my face :)