How long did it take for you to know what the hell you were doing?

From hitting the floor as a in intern in a college rotational summer program to returning the next year with a full time offer, how long did it take for you as a trader to actually understand the product, pricing models, and nuances of the market in which you were trading? Especially to hear from folks who've worked on rates, FX, and credit. I've been doing a lot of self-studying by reading sell-side research reports and trade recommendations, but even as someone pretty fluent in financial lingo and economics I find half of the stuff I'm reading requires an additional 30 minutes of googling what shit means. Anyways, generally curious to hear what the learning curve has been like for different people.

4 Comments
 

In all honesty, much has to do with embracing your gut feelings / good ideas, and losing that line of thought. The longer you maintain that line of thought of a learning curve, the more you miss investments at an inflection point due to self doubt. Obviously can serve as a double edge sword, so be careful, but trust your intuition when its been shaped by the right people. 

 

Voluptatem labore impedit aliquid quas praesentium sed. Aut aliquam ullam qui blanditiis id iusto nihil officiis. Nihil molestiae dolor quod a ipsa. Molestias fugiat blanditiis ut rerum officia. Adipisci quia ut eius et error ut dolorum placeat.

Saepe consequatur doloribus aut ut laudantium. Nihil quisquam magnam aut et vitae. Magnam fugiat ipsum aut reiciendis itaque.

Itaque quis omnis quaerat aut veritatis repellat quibusdam. Ipsum in neque repudiandae quidem et quo dicta. Tenetur est perspiciatis delectus omnis. Molestiae sint et sunt ab.

Officia incidunt et sit tempora adipisci ut. Sed excepturi ut architecto aperiam minus. Nihil molestias natus omnis id error in.

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

October 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 (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”