I recently got a PM asking me these questions after my last thread (found here). Here was my response to the message, thought other monkeys might like to hear it too.
MONKEY: What I want to ask you is: why banking (besides the typical exit opps, learning about companies and helping them grow, etc.)?What about your work do you find interesting? What are your short or long-term career goals? What music are you currently listening to? What films do you enjoy watching in your spare time? And most of all, are you happy?
To answer these I am going to break them out.
MONKEY: What I want to ask you is: why banking (besides the typical exit opps, learning about companies and helping them grow, etc.)?
I am a social person and I really like talking to people about business. On the other hand I am analytical and kind extraverted. Investment banking is a nice blend of analytical and social. On the social side you have to talk to clients and be able to get along with them. On the analytical side you have to be able to build models and be able to understand them in and out. This often leads to long hours of no contact with others. It is a nice blend for me personally.
MONKEY: What about your work do you find interesting?
I really like meeting with CEOs and CFOs of companies. If you just let them talk and listen you can learn so much. They have 50+ years of knowledge from living and they have so much insight that can help you for your future.
It is also awesome when you correctly value a company on the first try or build a report that makes your boss and client extremely happy. I have also received emails from CEOs and CFOs thanking me for my great work and quick turnarounds, those always make you feel great.
MONKEY: What are your short or long-term career goals?
I would love to be an executive of a company someday, but that is a long time from now. It would be interesting if I stayed in banking, which I could see happening. Right now I am focusing on working hard as an analyst. I have a lot of growing to do and things to learn. When I was hired I was told that I might be able to help start another banking office in a couple years if I proved myself, which could be interesting. The office that we just started in a new geographical area for the company is doing great; so far I have been proving myself. I am just going to keep working hard and figure out what to do next when that comes.
Don’t forget to enjoy the present. I spent a lot of my last couple years looking forward to being a banker and killing myself studying technical questions in my free time. If I could go back I would have enjoyed college a little more. Don’t become a drone that says ibanking or death, that was me, never again!
MONKEY: What music are you currently listening to?
I listen to a lot of trance music. I like this music because it doesn’t have very many vocals and the beat keeps me energized. Most of the cds or podcast I listen to are two hours, so I don’t have to keep changing the song, which is nice when I am busy. Every week I listen to A State of Trance with Armin Van Buuren, and Group Therapy Radio with Above and Beyond. Those radio shows always give me something to look forward to during the week. Great uplifting music!
If you are interested in the music, check it out here.
MONKEY: What films do you enjoy watching in your spare time?
I don’t have time to watch movies anymore. My favorites are Wall Street, Dumb and Dumber, and American Psycho. As far as TV shows, I always really liked Wall Street Warriors and Teen Mom 2. I loved Teen Mom 2 so much because I couldn’t believe how these girls acted, so needy, entitled, and lazy. Janelle was by far my favorite; I don’t even know how a person acts like that to their parents. Sloots gonna sloot. Good show to make you value your life and learn what not to do. I also grew up in an area where everyone had kids by age 19 and that show was like being in my hometown again. Almost no one from my high school went to college, I can count the people that did on two hands.
MONKEY: And most of all, are you happy?
Yeah, I am. Every day I am still shocked that I finally got into banking. It has been a while now, but I am still extremely grateful. I also know that there are tons of other people out there that would kill to be in my position, so I work as hard as I can every day. I love my job, the company is growing, and the future for me looks good. I am very happy man!
A lot of people in banking rely on things to make them happy, cars, clothing, or fancy food. I sold my car, I can’t remember the last time I bought clothing, and the nicest meal I have bought myself since getting into banking is a deep dish pizza. The company has bought me nicer meals than pizza, but personally I don’t spoil myself. I have learned to be happy with myself and not things. This makes me sound like a hippie, but I am a pure capitalist. I would rather keep my money than spend it all on things I don’t need.
Thanks for the write up, and nice addition. IBANKING OR DEATH!!!!
I guess it is easier to say this sentence once you are in. Like many other monkey out there, I spent too many nights dreaming about being a banker.
Hey! I watched Wall Street Warriors back in the day, but most of the people on the show were actors and it was pretty overdramatized, plus that season when that little sell side shop was banking on SanDisk, they fudged the numbers because they were reporting numbers SanDisk never hit. That college hedge fund Tim Sykes guy from the show who threw a few media hissy fits is also apparently in my LinkedIn network.
Also, one of the actual PE guys on the show was jailed for starting a Ponzi scheme, fooling people he was on the show because he's famous and knew affluent people and whatnot to gain massive funds.
Lol Teen Mom? That's a bit curious.
Seems like a hardworking guy though.
^ that is the reason why I watch the show. lulz.
I am probably the only banker that watched that show. srs
Wall Street Warriors was kind of a chit show, but that is what made it great. I agree with you Lambie.
Haha. I am for sure IBanking or death at this point.
From what you said about talking to executives, I'm guessing you're at a Lincoln, Blair, Baird, Williams, Moelis, or much smaller bank.
hello fellow miscer. when will it be mine turn?
Hang in there man. We're all gonna make it brah!
Thanks! Trance family
GroupTherapy thanks for the link to the Above and Beyond playlist. If you enjoy trance you should check out audiblecoffee dot com (still not enough points to link). It has a continuous playlist with new uploads every weekday, shit gets me through work.
I'm not sure if this is supposed to be funny or a serious commentary. Of course I'm a bitch so take it for what it is.
haha you're just like me
What about music...AWESOME :D
Thanks for sharing. SB for you :)
I guess it's most likely the case that after you get into banking that you wish you didn't work as hard in college. But I do think I'd prefer to be in your shoes, hoping I had played more, than not to get into banking, and then regretting playing too much in college.
Oh, the honeymoon phase. This is really cute, and I remember it well. This will slowly turn into a passionate hatred... Enjoy it while it lasts... they will break you... they will make you cry...[/quote] Haha.. Talk about the voice from the dark side.
Louboutins and Leverage,
fantastic reply
Louboutins and Leverage,
fantastic name
This has Japanese work ethic written all over it. That or Morman salary man. JK. Nothing wrong with working hard.
Personally, I'd say it sounds more like a "grew up in a small town with few opportunities where most people end up amounting to nothing and the fear of being one of those people resulted in a 'holy shit i need to get myself out of here' ethos" work ethic.
I am not Japanese. lulz
@When In Rome, We have a winner. I grew up in a smallish town where having a baby at 18 is seen as achieving success, and if you got married you were super successful. The city I grew up in has a mugshot website and it looks like a yearbook. It seems like everyone from my high school has either been arrested or had babies at 17/18yrs old.
A majority of my high school peers are master chiefs at elite restaurants like Taco bell, BK, and KFC. Does anyone know the exit ops from elite institutions like that? Can you go directly to a BB like Dennys/iHop, or do you have to get a MFF (Master of Fast Food) first?
Insightful!
State of Trance trumps group therapy. Specially nowadays. Too much trouse on group therapy these days.
We all know there is more than enough time to listen to them all, I mean fuck it, throw Tiesto a bone and put on Club Life every now and then.
I'm currently going back and listening to all the Above and Beyond podcasts beginning with the Trance Around the World days. Goes by faster than you think.
are you aware?
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