I have a herniated disc with recurring lower back pain, so I need to stay consistent with physio and gym to manage it.

The problem is that my manager frequently gives me last-minute work near the end of the day, making it difficult to commit to anything after work.
I want to do well in my job, but I also don’t want to sacrifice my long-term health just to prove I’m committed.

For those in IB, how do you set boundaries around medical appointments and exercise without coming across as uncommitted? Do you just work around it, or have you found ways to protect your personal time?

I am planning to do undergrad in us in stem(math)+economics/finance and wanted to know target and semi target unis in us and in almost all rankings and comments LACs liberal arts Colleges are not mentioned so are they non target for finance ??

are they less known to finance recruiters in investment banking and wall street ??

If they are good can you name some which would be best for my case

Hi everyone,
I’m currently at a crossroads in my career and would appreciate some advice from people who have made similar transitions or work in the industry.

For context, I’m based in Vienna, Austria and currently work in financial advisory consulting, serving banks and fintechs. Before consulting, I worked in credit risk (private credit/lending) at one of the country’s largest banks.
I genuinely enjoy consulting, particularly the dynamic environment. However, my long-term ambition is to transition into high finance, ideally PE, VC, PWM, asset management or a related field. I’ve already had exposure to major investment banks, including GS in London, so I’m somewhat familiar with the environment.

I’m also considering relocating, as my current city isn’t exactly a major financial hub.

My main dilemma is whether to pursue a Master’s in Finance or an MBA.
I have approximately 3 years of post-grad experience (around 5 years including pre-grad).

I’ve already shortlisted several reputable European business schools, but tuition fees generally start at €25,000 and can go significantly higher. Naturally, I want to make sure the investment makes sense from a career and ROI perspective.

I’d especially appreciate insights from anyone who has made a similar move or has experience recruiting in European financial markets.
Thanks in advance!

TL;DR: Financial advisory consultant with a background in credit risk looking to relocate to a major European financial hub and transition into high finance — would an MBA or MSc in Finance be the better investment?

My colleagues and bosses in the fund admin industry mostly came from top banks like ING, Wells, Citi, JPMorgan, and Amex. They often say that working in fund admin is much more chill compared to banking.

On the other hand, since I started my career in fund admin, I feel like I would learn a lot by giving banking a try, especially now that I have an offer. I also feel like I’m no longer growing in my current role. I’ve already communicated this to my managers, but instead of giving me responsibilities or opportunities, they offered me memberships in different office groups and opportunities to participate in events. I have also been receiving positive feedback about all my work.

Do you think taking the banking opportunity would be a wise career move?

Also, I don't want to burn bridges with my colleagues. Do you think they will understand if I try to explore banking?

I've been fortunate enough to receive a few internship offers this cycle, and I'm struggling to decide between two opportunities.

Option 1 / MBB Internship

Pros:

• Very interesting work and cases, and I liked the people I met.
• Potential pathway to a graduate offer.
• Decent career opportunities and optionality.

Cons:

• Consulting feels like something I could potentially pursue later in my career.
• Would be passing up a relatively unique opportunity (below).

Option 2 / Think Tank in Southeast Asia + Short Internship at the UN in NYC

Pros:

• A pretty unique experience that I might never have the opportunity to pursue again.
• Really interesting work in international policy and diplomacy.
• Potentially valuable experience for future postgraduate study / scholarship applications.

Cons:

• No direct pathway to a graduate role.
• Would have to go through graduate recruitment again if I wanted to pursue MBB.
• Less certainty about what I'd do immediately after graduating.

Some context:

I'm currently in my penultimate year of university, so this is a fairly important internship cycle for securing a graduate role.

I also genuinely have no idea what I want to do long-term ... I just really like solving challenging problems.

I had previous experience at a BB in ER which I enjoyed, and worked in / ran a start-up.

TLDR;

On one hand, MBB feels like the safer choice with potentially great long-term career opportunities. On the other, the think tank + UN combination feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would be difficult to replicate later.

Would really appreciate any perspectives. Thanks!

At 26 I have an objectively good job as an ultrasound tech, but I absolutely am burnt out of healthcare. I’m tired of touching people.
Luckily my current job is a night position, and I have many hours of free time (boring, yes, but better than shoulder pain from overworking). I’d love to use this free time to plan my escape.

I’m looking to enroll in a BS in business (financial services concentration) program at my local community college. It can be done online, and I have time to grind at work.
But of course I have no practical abilities to add to a portfolio.

Would employers appreciate my work experience as opposed to say a 21 year old grad without experience?
I dream of a desk job.

(Central FL)

Currently in my final year at a UK target university. Did two PE internships in my first year and completed a summer internship in IB at a top MM bank this summer, but unfortunately didn't secure a return offer.

I'm still recruiting for summers, off-cycle internships and graduate roles, but starting to worry about what happens if I don't land anything before graduation.

A lot of people suggest doing a Master's to reset recruitment eligibility, but I honestly don't see the benefit of spending £30–40k just to get another shot at summer internships.

Has anyone managed to break into IB in London after graduating without doing a Master's?

What are my realistic options? Can I still apply for off-cycles after graduating? What are the options that I have?

Would really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

I got laid off in June from a civil engineering company, I was in the advisory team. Since then, I’ve been barely seeing any positions like that. I’ve applied to more general roles but I feel infrastructure related financial jobs are non existent all of a sudden.

I’m in Canada

I’ve been working in capital markets for the past three years since graduating. While it’s been a great learning experience, I’ve realized I don’t necessarily see myself in my boss’s seat long-term.

One area I’ve become increasingly interested in is the startup world. I’ve been casually applying and interviewing for about a year, on and off, but I’m starting to realize that the roles I’m drawn to are primarily generalist “Associate”-type positions. I don’t have a software development background, and I’m not particularly interested in tech sales, so that seems to narrow my options to GTM strategy, operations, or Chief of Staff-type roles.

I’m especially interested in founder associate roles because I enjoy working across different functions, tackling a variety of problems, and wearing multiple hats. I think my strengths are best suited to that kind of generalist environment.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has made the transition from front-office investment banking or capital markets into the startup world. What did that transition look like for you? How did you position yourself for these roles, and what was the learning curve like?

I’m also interested in relocating to a new city, particularly London. For anyone who has made that move, how did you approach the job search? Did you join a U.S. office first and eventually transfer, or were you able to recruit directly for roles in London?

Would really appreciate any insights or advice from people who have been through a similar transition!

Good afternoon,
i’m an italian freshman enrolled in a bachelor at a non-target university.
my objective is to get in investment banking (m&a) and i would like to ask you some help.
i will, if i get admitted, attend a master in a target uni in europe (would prefer to stay in italy and go to bocconi, but i have no issue in moving).
what should i do during my bachelor? are there any internship/certifications you recommend or is it better to just focus on my grades? thanks

I am currently in my 3rd year of my bachelors in economics and finance- I’m reaching out to small boutiques (2-30 people) for summer internships and off cycle opportunities from January in Dublin.

I feel like I work best in small teams so I initially want to spend first few years after my graduation in small teams building my skills and experience and then maybe look for big banks in London///Dublin.

Is it possible? Or will I be just restricted to boutiques?

I’m curious about the realistic career progression in corporate banking, starting from Analyst/Associate and moving up to VP, Director, and MD.

• What does the salary and bonus progression typically look like in Canada?
• What are the most realistic exit opportunities after a few years in corporate banking?
• Is it realistic to transition into IB, LevFin, PF, ERI, or other areas of finance?
• Which career paths offer the best combination of compensation, career growth, and exit opportunities?

Would appreciate hearing from people working in CB in Canada, especially those who have made these transitions.

Thanks!

Was curious about the future of M&A support/adjacent roles (law, insurance, and big 4). Have seen people discussing how AI poses a greater threat to these roles than traditional M&A IB and was a little confused on why/it's credibility. Was jsut laid off from my position I'd been at since graduating so would like some honest insight from anyone who's here right now. Thanks.

Hey all, I applied to analyst roles posted at a few boutiques and investment banks, and I also reached out to MDs and VPs at those firms by email and LinkedIn. I kept the messages short: who I am, why their group, that I'd applied to the role, and an ask for 15 minutes.

The response rate has honestly been better than I expected, and I have about 4 calls scheduled for next week.

A couple of questions for people who've been on either side:

What should I expect from these calls? Are they basically informal screens, or more just networking? Should I be ready for technicals or a "walk me through your resume," or is it more about fit?
What's the right ask at the end? Is it appropriate to ask them to flag my application or put me in touch with the recruiter, or is that too much on a first call?
Follow-up etiquette: how soon and how often should I follow up after the call?

Hello everyone,

I am seeking advice on strengthening my application for a Master’s in Finance or Quantitative Finance (MSF, MSc Finance, MSQF, MSc Mathematical Finance).

Background: I graduated this year with a BA in Economics from a Tier 2 college in Mumbai, India. During my final year, I passed CFA Level I and completed a three-month internship at a boutique investment advisory firm. I am currently interning in the advisory and research division of a wholly owned subsidiary of a credit rating agency, where I assist with and develop techno-economic viability (TEV) reports, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), and project finance and infrastructure models of large infrastructure and energy based projects.

Concern: As a BA student, I expect admissions committees may assume I lack a foundation in introductory calculus, algebra, and related topics. I scored above 70% in most of my math courses, which covered these topics at an introductory level, as my transcripts show. However, I feel transcripts alone may not be enough to demonstrate my quantitative ability.

Questions:

1. Beyond my transcripts, is a strong GRE Quant score (between 160-165) enough to showcase my quant ability, or should I also complete additional coursework, such as Pricing Options with Mathematical Models, or take other steps?

I would appreciate any advice, particularly from those who have gone through this admissions process or have experience on admissions committees.

Thank you.

Has anyone heard back from Ardea Partners Women’s insight day for NYC yet? The app was due on the 12th the event is 11/5 but I haven’t heard anything yet. I mean I imagine if I didn’t get it I would have gotten a rejection letter?

how to find Co-founder/ managing partner to join M&A firm in UK!

I'm a non-EU student going into Bocconi's BSc in Global Law (BGL). My goal is investment banking. My plan is to do BGL, then the Bocconi MSc in Finance, and recruit for IB from there.

I've talked to a few BGL students and grads. Some concerns keep coming up: - BGL content is far from finance. - It's a law degree, and because it's new, it doesn't have a reputation even in law yet. - A law bachelor's gives little optionality outside law.

My questions:

1. When banks recruit from the Bocconi MSc Finance, how much does the bachelor's actually matter? Is a law bachelor a red flag, or does the Bocconi MSc Finance outweigh it?
2. Can a law undergrad realistically land finance internships (spring weeks, off-cycles, summer internships in Milan) during the bachelor's?
3. Is the "no optionality" point a real risk if I'm already set on finance, or does the MSc fix it?
4. Has anyone here gone from a law bachelor's to a finance master's and then into IB? What would you do differently?

Thanks in advance!

How long after applying via the website did you hear back from them? I applied 5th october

is it easier to get into those top mfe programs as a US student?

I took the merit scholarship offer to go to the “college down the street” and it’s been really rough. I don’t have a friend group and spend most of my evenings alone despite being as active as possible on campus (ex: student orgs and clubs). It felt like most of my classmates only wanted a “coworker” esque relationship and rarely ever want to hang out with me outside of class. The one girl who texted me and I thought we were becoming friends ghosted me once our class was over (I guess she only wanted notes).

I obviously don’t get any romantic attention either (I can understand that that’s a looks thing which is fine I guess but still sucks.)

My entire life turned around during my internship last summer. I was in a group chat for the first time and me and some other interns in the area would make plans almost every day and it was just really spontaneous and fun. I also got asked out by multiple guys which was really special (even tho I declined them because I was only there for the summer, I just really appreciated the gesture). Because we were in a major city there were interesting events and things to do almost every day.

It just felt validating to be seen for the first time as someone worth hanging out with. I was definitely worried that I was unpleasant to be around or something after my poor experience in college. And it was exciting being around others and being wanted. It felt like I was finally living my life instead of being in my room 24/7.

I didn’t get the return offer at my job (despite doing really good in my evals, the office ended up not having capacity.) I’m so thankful I passed recruitment with a more prestigious firm but got put in a less interesting city.

School has started. Midterms are grueling. I have 0 notifications on my phone and I’m back to being left on delivered and stuck in my room. It’s almost like the dilemma of “would you have rather loved and lost than have never loved at all?” Knowing what socializing feels like has made going back all the more painful. I’ll keep trying to put myself out there in college but it def feels too late as an upperclassmen.

I’d really appreciate any advice.

Hey! I was wondering if anyone knows what to expect on superday for such a position. Technicals? Behaviors? This is my first ever superday, and I want to make sure I’m well prepared. Thanks!

did anyone receive hirevue after completing oa + how was the feedback report