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

Veniam sed nulla et corporis sint impedit. Fuga dolorum placeat qui dignissimos officia provident. Perspiciatis aut velit consequatur vero officia in. Et suscipit reiciendis et eaque aut rerum omnis.

Velit qui recusandae incidunt ut. Ad est eius corrupti omnis mollitia. Consequuntur soluta et deleniti dolore nobis odit. Ullam est vel eaque et.

Voluptas dolores ipsum vero quia iste corporis sit. Numquam qui praesentium incidunt et expedita ut. Ut sint consequuntur praesentium et in in. Mollitia eaque eum sit veniam consequatur vitae minus. Nemo esse culpa itaque rerum sit vero sunt.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”