Need career direction advice

I have 4 years experience in Project Finance and I am a CFA charter holder. I loved my work but I have been unemployed for sometime. Now I have time to reflect and think what I want to do next. I am trying to figure out which career within finance is a good fit for me. The following are my concerns:

  • I like financial modelling, financial analysis, industry study but I hate typical formatting presentations stuff.
  • I love love business valuations.
  • I am not that much of a people's person. The more people I have to interact with the anxious I get. I hate selling!
  • I know I would hate travelling for work though generally I love it.
  • I certainly prefer a career within finance where I can have work-life balance, stable work hours even if it doesn't pay crazy well.
  • I do personally invest in stocks. My investing style is more of a passive investment style. I make large concentrated bets time to time, my main focus remains earnings. Following stock market day to day minute to minute is not much of a fun thing to me.
  • Overly fast paced environment is not my thing either.
  • Eventually I want to have my own practice. I am not clear what exactly as of now.

I know I know I will certainly have to compromise on one thing or the other. I will certainly need to develop more of soft skills and relationship building skills.

So, wall street gurus what are your suggestions? I guess management consulting will certainly be not my thing so I am not entertaining that idea much.

 
Best Response

It's a tough proposition with the list you made. If you don't like formatting decks, then most of finance is not for you :-) It's amazing to me how much of that industry runs on PowerPoint!

If you don't like sales then consulting is most likely not for you either since that's all really just one, very long sales cycle. Since you also don't like travel, consulting is truly a terrible option.

So I'm not 100% sure where that leaves you. You would either have to (1) change some of these dislikes or (2) go into something that you can do independently like an investment advisor or something like that, although that really takes many years to bring to a successful state.

 

Quis cum veritatis sint odit est odit nemo. Voluptatem consequatur fugiat inventore aut. Facere eius minima labore omnis. Autem ipsa dolor consectetur facilis voluptate. Ipsum doloremque sit adipisci soluta.

Nulla nulla quisquam illum nulla fugiat non consequatur. Et fugit quia at sunt fugit asperiores. Et reprehenderit corporis quo a tempora. Sed iure error occaecati.

Accusamus ipsam non cum impedit recusandae. Nulla possimus libero a asperiores.

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