Flipping The Switch - When & why did you commit to the "path"?

What flipped the switch that made you want to get into high finance? How'd you find out about it?
Media?
Friend's parents?
College classes?

Besides the obvious allures ($$$, exit opps), was there anything specific to you that drove you to this?

Background: SEC non-target. Literally went into finance because one day as a senior in HS my buddy told me that his brother went into finance and that it's "the move" (kid's brother actually went from MS -> VC). Didn't even know what high finance was until Junior year of
college. Still somehow got a superday with a 3.2 at a decent regional MM with bad internship experience & a summer "project management" job at a contractor. Interview went well but I declined because I would have to have lived in a shit city away from family and I also deferred graduation an entire year (interviewed as a senior for an SA spot). Idk if I would've even got the offer, who the fuck knows. I do not regret this at all currently.

 

Jake Paul, shame nobody has responded. Maybe one of these topics will help:

  • Why Consulting- Answering the Interview Question came here looking for an answer to the interview question, "Why consulting?". First, what not ... Why go into consulting instead of the clearly superior investment banking? Don't you travel ... Interview Question Before we get into consulting as a career choice, we need to indu
  • Bumps along the way, but finally moving in the right direction... they think they can "wing it", but this guide really explains how to answer the fit questions ... elsewhere, and the guide does a fantastic job of breaking down how to answer them without just giving you ... a generic answer that you should use. Obviously fit is something that's endogenous to <
  • GET MOTIVATED!!! MOVE FORWARD!!! to, since your new choice to live life in a new way will impact them the most. You'll be ... transition stage right now, keep moving and keep doing work to forge the life that you want and deserve. ... Hurts. A Lot. Making changes-especially ones of the magnitude that
  • Ex-McKinsey Consultant Here Answering Questions logically, and work hard under pressure. It did not help me figure out the best way to attract and retain ... 40 hours a week (though I did not readily admit this to my co-workers). Either way, you ... years before leaving. Why Did you Leave McKinsey? A wide variety of reasons. Part of it was ...
  • Off The Beaten Path: Commercial Banking to Private Equity (The Non-Traditional Route) be honest, I think it's probably harder to stay motivated when it seems like you're doing ... and I hope my story helps you make a change as well! Feel free to ask me questions in this thread or ... firm as an analyst, but I think now is a better time than any to tell you how I made the jump
  • Why do IB directors change shops? organization is not structured to enable you (see motivation #2) Maybe you can see your way to the next level, ... you've always wanted to read will. You may be motivated to change IBs, particularly to move down market, ... This is an ou
  • The 24 Interview Lessons I Learned on the Way to Getting My First Full Time Job your key point to the "why this position" question. 10. Never admit that you want to be doing ... answers to your prepared three questions, record yourself, and listen back to it. This way you can ... all the hard way. Here goes... 1. Interviewing i
  • More suggestions...

Hope that helps.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Ut soluta aut dignissimos. In in distinctio vero tenetur.

Porro consectetur consequatur voluptatem ut ut quae. Voluptas voluptatem sapiente porro fugit ea omnis dolorum. Molestias dolorum et excepturi itaque reprehenderit. Dolorum rerum quod id odit qui nesciunt. Ullam cumque doloremque molestiae dolore consectetur ea.

Cumque et in esse accusamus perspiciatis fugiat. Asperiores minima et quos quam in tempore blanditiis rem. Distinctio voluptatem veritatis quis voluptatibus alias qui iste.

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/

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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”