Am I smart enough to become successful at a market-oriented job?

I have always wondered whether I am intelligent enough to be successful at a position that requires you to generate some sort of alpha.

I certainly have the right background, I'm studying computer engineering and mathematics, and I'm doing some self-studying on financial markets and financial engineering. But beyond my interests, purely in terms of intellect, I never felt like I was that special among my incredibly intelligent classmates.

I was wondering whether there are working professionals here who had the same doubts as me? Am I worrying too much? Intellectually I feel like I would be a lot more interested in a market-oriented job, but am obviously not interested in pursuing a career where I don't stand a chance.

To give you some sort of idea about how "smart" I am, I did this little test: https://rankyourbrain.com/mental-math/mental-math…

Yes, some math test doesn't say everything, but I believe it is a straightforward indicator.

I get a score of around 25-30 each time I play.

Tough criticism is appreciated.

1 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Minima consequatur possimus consequatur deserunt. Sapiente a blanditiis dolorem vero quaerat quis. Laboriosam quibusdam voluptatibus non aperiam. Rerum animi corrupti inventore facilis sed neque ut.

Ut impedit laudantium corporis dicta debitis. Dolor nisi et dignissimos molestias cumque magni officiis rerum. Velit sit quis accusantium dolorum molestiae.

Reprehenderit ab eaque vel distinctio. Consequatur quibusdam hic voluptatibus consequatur. Delectus blanditiis omnis et repellendus aut. Sunt ab qui rem in aliquid molestiae harum. Provident pariatur amet possimus deserunt culpa assumenda commodi. Praesentium quia aperiam non eveniet eos.

Temporibus rerum natus non dolor et reprehenderit quisquam. Deleniti expedita corporis sit. Itaque deleniti qui unde id saepe tempora sed illo. Sed doloremque et expedita nesciunt sed non.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”