I came across a post this week on Wall Street Oasis where people debate whether it’s worth pursuing a career in investment banking.
Interns and prospects, you have to understand that online forums serve different purposes. Besides information or networking opportunities, people in these forums are looking for a place to vent and let out their emotions.
Personally, I’m not against this. The finance industry can be tough and everyone—not only analysts—often go through tough times.
The current Covid WFH period is definitely a tough one for a lot of people.
The fact that 1 out of 5 posts on Wall Street Oasis is another “this is no life/I’m out/I’m off to tech” post doesn’t mean that all those people are going to act on what they say.
Some do and that’s great. But most people just talk and this is a way to discharge and feel better after another 14 hr day. That’s okay too. We all do it. It’s the same as meeting a friend for drinks after work and they start…. “Fuck, I’m sick of my boss, I need to get the fuck out of that place etc.” That’s okay. No big deal.
You are young and you have to try stuff and finance is a cool thing to try.
I did and I don’t regret a single minute of that 5-year experience. I learned about myself, people, finance, business, communication, politics… Excel! I’m grateful for that experience.
Whatever way you’re considering to follow in your lives, there will be people who will say go left and people who will say go right. You have to pick a way. You may end up liking that way, you may not.
And if later on, you decide to choose a totally different way, it doesn’t mean that you wasted your time. It doesn’t mean you will always be behind those who took that way earlier than you in their careers. No, no, no! You will be UNIQUE. You can kick their ass because of your different mindset, experiences and skills. You will the VC, entrepreneur, asset manager, who before did M&A’s, PE, tech, consulting, and knows all sorts of people in different industries and is a great manager and has worked internationally and and and…
Whatever you’ve done in your lives—your experiences, the skills you’ve built, the human capital, the lessons you’ve learned—everything makes you UNIQUE in whatever you decide to pursue next in your career. What you bring to the table today is always unique because of the unique path you went on until you got here.
So, allow yourself to explore, experiment, and try different stuff. Again, IB is a cool thing to try for whatever reasons you may have right now… even if it’s just for the money. Why not? Each one has different values/dreams/criteria and those change during our lives anyway.
Go try investment banking or anything else you wish.
With love for young people, Angelos.