2016 - Good Riddance

Alright Monkeys, my perusal of this site is intermittent at best, apologies to anyone who has already posed this topic, but 2016 was a kick in the nut sack of a year. I don’t know how I will ever recover from such an awful election and the loss of so many famous people. HORSESHIT! No, my hatred of this year is much more genuine.

2016 brought with it its very own special set of personal challenges. My poorly sleeping infant graduated to a poorly sleeping toddler. Coincidentally, this event translated into me literally being hit in the nuts more times than I thought possible. You would think that a tiny being created out of love wouldn’t take so much joy from inflicting pain on others. He plays it off as accidental so well, but I swear there is a glint in his eye betraying his true intentions. Also, I hit one of those milestone birthdays where the milestone is realizing everything you thought you would be doing at this age is going to take at minimum “a few more years”.

Speaking of milestones, I hit a big one professionally, and every day it’s becoming clearer that the higher you rise the less of your brain you actually get to use. Is paying your dues really the “good part”? Meanwhile it takes larger and larger doses of Adderall and smokeless tobacco to get through the day. My start-up is still in its premature incubation stages, as in I have no real prospects for whatever it could be, but god dammit if that doesn’t seem to be the only way out of the rat race these days.

So I’m waiting out the rest of 2016 like Ackman waiting on his Herbalife bet, knowing you are right, being proven right, but still taking an ass kicking every day. After a year such as this I can’t help but be optimistic about 2017, mostly due to the big bath write off that was 2016. There can’t be much left for this shit show of a year to dish out, at least that’s my hope.

What say you Monkeys? Was 2016 awful for you? What are you hopeful for in 2017? Give me your thoughts, or share your successes/blunders. Might as well commiserate or silently voice my contempt for your triumphs over the internet.

 

Weird. I felt that 2016 was one of the best years of my life.

I graduated from school, met my girlfriend (among other cool people), studied abroad in Spain, and started hitting the gym consistently. Like you, the seeds have definitely been planted for me to start a business soon as well.

At least you made it through 2016. I agree its been a crazy year, especially in terms of pop culture.

I'm curious. What are you looking forward to in 2017?

 
Best Response

I for one am hoping that I could sleep through these next 22 days and wake up to never having to see 2016 ever, ever again (has been a horrible year both personally and professionally).

I recognize January 1 is just as arbitrary as December 9, but dammit 2016 needs to end. I hope you're right in that there isn't enough of this cksucker of a year to dish shit out....as it has been off the chains in a bad way. Could it be worse? Yes. But 2016 is absolutely going in the top 5 (depending on the rest of the year, may check in at #2, will be no lower than #3) worst.

Fortunately my great sleeping infant transformed into a great sleeping toddler this year, and is healthy. But he, too, seems to enjoy "incidentally" inflicting pain. Unfortunately, the sibling he was going to have in March won't be arriving in March anymore (that sure was a shitty weekend back in the summer).

While no real milestone birthday for me, I did have a milestone MBA reunion...which made me want to ask "wtf did I do wrong?" after graduating at the top of my class (also had a milestone High School reunion...which invoked the same question). And...after working my ass off all year, I found myself the target of the bus one of our execs was driving in an effort to save his job (which he didn't, but he sure knocked a few of us down with him...) Quite the stark reminder that no matter how hard you work or what level of effort you put in, there's always someone out there working an angle that very well might sting you.

Looking forward to the potential that 2017 brings with it, even if it doesn't materialize.

Director of Finance and Corporate Development: 2020 - Present Manager of FP&A and Corporate Development: 2019 - 2020 Corporate Finance, Strategy and Development: 2011 - 2019 "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin
 

Im a senior and looking for FT. 2016 was definitely rough. More bad than good, but the good I think outweighs the bad. My personal and academic life has quickly disintegrated. I got sick multiple times and ended up with a 1.3 GPA this fall semester, went through a messy breakup, messed up my first real shot at working at a BB S&T in Tokyo because my Japanese isn't quite as good as I thought it was, had to work 40+ hours a week to help out my parents while going to school, etc.

On the flip side, looking for a job has gone a lot better than I expected, not necessarily at a BB. Found an extremely supportive mentor in trading in exactly the product I'm interested in. Networked with many people, both on my own and through introductions through family friends. Now I feel I'm much closer to finding a job in S&T, though I know that until I have an offer in hand, "how I feel" is irrelevant.

All in all, 2016 was definitely rough and really tested my limit of just how much shit I can take, but I like to think that this year was a great learning experience. I look forward to what 2017 has in hand for me, even if it means the usual constant stream of rejections.

 

Thanks! Just gotta keep on hustling.

I learned that opportunity comes in unexpected ways. All of my FT interviews so far have been because I took a last minute internship in a SE Asian EM. My GPA has always been mediocre at best, but this internship made my resume more "interesting" (not my words, but the people that interviewed me).

 

2016 has been a pretty crappy year for me. I'm applying to universities in the UK and due to poor grades I won't be applying to the top universities like Oxford, Cambridge. Plus, my grandfather's health is deteriorating, our family's financial situation isn't exactly fantastic and my friends are all doing way better than me in terms of uni applications. Plus, everyone's focused on exams and there haven't any big parties, not even got my 18th

Here's to a better 2017!

 

for me, 2016 started in a disastrous way, got financial problems so i delayed getting an MBA, got depressed when i saw my ex in the arms of another guy, started drinking again, got into a fight with a neighbor and got my life threatned, in my work my boss gave me hard time, but around the middle of the year i started getting myself together, 1- exercise more often, joggin etc.. 2- negotiated a deal with my boss, (good results until now...juicy end of year bonus) 3- applied to a local MBA that is very cheap 4- burried personal life (love, dating and shit...) although i still think of my ex from time to time 5- still have some debt have to take care of it i'm gonna start 2017 in a deal oriented way, making deals with everyone don't be pessimistic or optimistic, get a pen and paper and start planning

 

Exercitationem dignissimos eligendi aut cupiditate debitis libero quam. Velit possimus voluptatibus et ipsa. Quos est placeat esse laborum quo occaecati nihil. Odit libero ex voluptates minima. Tenetur voluptatem et omnis eligendi. Temporibus nulla ducimus animi voluptatibus. Voluptate consectetur unde adipisci vero doloremque rem consequatur.

Quibusdam est aut labore mollitia. Error totam quasi aut velit. Ea aliquam ea nobis ab impedit.

Nobis assumenda consequuntur autem fugiat error consequuntur vero. Totam culpa sit inventore sunt soluta accusamus rerum. Et ex magnam rem ut quis nemo ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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

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...”