Greetings from Chicago

Hello WSO! Let me start off by saying this is quite the resource for those seeking to enter and rise as a professional within the financial industry. Impressive to say the least.
Warning: this might be considered a novel and the word "I" is used 35 times (just throwing it out there).
A little about myself:

My intent here is to be about as transparent as possible without negating my anonymity. And to be completely honest, I have no idea where to begin. I am an unconventional student living in the Chicagoland area currently majoring in actuarial science. Ever since I was a boy, I have been interested in money. Who isn't right? All joking aside, it's more than just possession. At a very young age I was fascinated by the concept of money and what it meant from a fundamental perspective. It wasn't until my first macro course (university level) that I gained the technical insight, yet in between this time bracket I developed somewhat of an obsession with financial markets.

The virtues of investment were instilled early in my life. My grandparents were high net worth investors, although I had no idea, and would always talk to me about stocks, bonds, banks, saving, etc.... At the age of 10, they took me to the Chicago board of trade, and it was then and there I realized what I wanted to do with my life besides athletic fantasies.

As an adolescent, I loved reading, math, history, and science although I hated school. Never studied or did much homework while relying on my intellect to advance. Always tested at the top of my class and always aced tests. You see, it's not as though I didn't value scholastic success, but my living situation never allowed me to settle into an environment long enough where I could derive the intrinsic value of an education. Parents were divorced, and I moved around quite a bit. I had learned a skills-trade during my summer vacations and made anywhere between $200 - $500 per day. By the time I graduated high school, I just wanted to make money.

And so I did (and spent it)... for about 7 years until I injured myself and couldn't work for more than 3 months. Then it hit me. If I don't figure something out, I’m going to wake up 50 years old and still doing this $hit. Soon I would enroll into a university (it wasn't easy) part time, and for the next 6 years would work part time and develop the study skills that I alluded from myself during HS.

I started out as an econ major, and eventually transitioned into AS because my school's econ program is a power-point/multiple-choice joke. The finance program is even worse! Would have went pure math but enrollment in upper division math courses is minute at best. Students often strike deals to enroll into the courses each of us need to eliminate the possibility of a course getting canceled due to lack of enrollment, and then drop the first week.

By summers end, I will be finished with undergrad and hope to find an internship that can transition me into the industry. I would have liked to intern during summers and what not, but necessities in life such as food, shelter, transportation, and tuition are certainly not free, and hence take precedent.

I am somewhat lost on how to proceed. The area I would like to work in is trading. I know I have the tools to succeed because nothing bothers me, i.e. I don't stay up at night worrying about things like ordinary people. The world could end tomorrow and I would just move on and become your warlord. Very much an alpha male (73 amateur boxing and kickboxing matches with only 6 defeats). Nothing motivates me more than being under what normal people refer to as pressure. To me, it’s just fuel for the fire. However, I do possess a moral compass built upon an ethical foundation. Personal gain, to me, is not strictly monetary... but as I previously stated, necessities aren't free and I do enjoy the finer things in life.

 

Qui voluptates qui et voluptas asperiores. Ratione itaque mollitia non at et sunt. Laboriosam est aperiam tempore occaecati soluta eos id molestias.

Ad unde id ut nulla consequuntur dolor. Aut omnis id dolore corrupti rerum quae dolorem. Deserunt dolore aperiam voluptate ratione.

Ipsa blanditiis molestiae debitis consequatur et qui. Veniam sed labore fugit nostrum officiis. Et dicta est eveniet voluptatum eos quas voluptas.

Dignissimos aliquam et et quas quidem consequatur culpa qui. Facilis quia et corporis enim cumque neque qui. Reprehenderit harum deleniti aut quasi voluptate.

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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”