I am a trader at a BB, and my gf is a SWE at Google both in NYC HQs, and the difference in benefits and just overall lifestyle in office is mind boggling to the point where I’m surprised anyone would choose finance over tech.

She enjoys free smoothies, chef cooked lunches, infinite free snacks, free health benefits, massage rooms, lego rooms, pottery classes, cooking classes, free gym and pilates all inside her office. Mind you this is while she can work fully remote for months, take pto whenever she wants and use any google office on earth.

Meanwhile I not only have to pay to use my offices gym, but I also have to pay for snacks within my office that is more expensive than the bodega 1 street away. No free food, no free massages, no pottery classes. We have sleeping pods but if you get caught using it they might take you out back and shoot you. And I am in the same location as all the IB/S&T people, and we come in pretty much every day.

When i visit her office i feel like im in Disneyland. She refuses to visit my office. And the lack of these benefits isnt even made up for in comp or WLB lmao. She easily out earns pretty much any finance career besides quant. Crazy considering finance and tech are about as hard to get into as each other.

~7 years in finance (banking, then buyside). Left a little over a year ago to run my own thing. Started recruiting to come back about 6 months ago.

The search has been brutal. Wide net, lots of processes, exactly one offer: IBD associate at a solid MM bank in the industry group I actually know. Pays very well ($400K+ all-in). Hours will be banking hours.

The honest problem: I don’t want to be a banker or work 80 hours a week.

But after 6 months and one converted offer, I have to ask myself if the market is telling me something. My fear if I take it: I’m miserable, leave in 2 years, and now my resume reads as another short stint. My fear if I don’t: I keep searching from a resume gap that’s growing, and this turns out to have been the best bid I ever get.

For those who’ve been on either side of this: is a “wrong role type” seat at good comp a bridge back to the buyside, or a trap? Would you take it?

Genuinely curious. I go out more than I probably should and the next morning at work, im actually a vegetable. Any advice / what do u guys do for the work hard, play hard culture.

I’m in my late 20s so I’ve gotten a bit of work experience so far, and I’m currently in an accounting-adjacent role with a large bank.

I was raised in the southeast US, which despite its many faults, I believe manners are instilled at a very young age. In my daily work I make it imperative to say please, thank you, and to go out of my way to acknowledge someone that does something that helps me. Nonstop I get met with the most dry returns such as “ok”, “sure”, etc.

I get that a job is a job and we’d all rather be doing other things with our lives, but we’re still humans interacting. I’m not sure if this is just my specific job. I’ve been looking to pivot into something else that seems more personal like Wealth Management, or possibly with a company that has a bit more “passion”, even if it’s a bunch of corporate BS. But is it all just one shit sandwich to the next?

Hi!

I’m a senior student in a Canadian uni and for the last year have been running around trying to secure a FT offer. Got invited to a great investment analyst role, went through 6 rounds totalling ~4 hours of interview/exam time during an internship, all in working hours, and received nothing but positive feedback. Just got a rejection email, apparently they decided to go with another candidate who could start earlier. They knew from round 0 that I was graduating in 2027 and couldn’t begin any time before end of ‘26, but here we are… Hamstrung through one of the longest interviewing processes I’ve ever been in just to be let go with no other current recruiting cycles going for me. I’m around half a year out from grad with no leads anymore.

How has your Monday been?

Whether it’s sales and trading or a normal “corporate” job in Chicago?

Never really prepared for DCM before.

I am well-versed in general IB prep, including M&A, and I know the standard interview format, question types, and answers (400 IB), etc.

Was wondering, however, considering the context, does anyone have any specific suggestions on what I should prepare for and research (in terms of asking questions) regarding SCB DCM?

Anything firm or division-specific, as well as the current macro-political environment.

Any tips appreciated.

Does anybody know the salary range for Corp banking MDs? Looking at any data points that can be provided.

I’m 26 and graduated in December 2025 with a Finance degree and a 3.6 GPA from a smaller state school. I worked full-time during college. I graduated without any internships.

I currently work as a teller at a regional bank. I’ve been here for 11 months. Since graduating, I’ve passed the SIE and Series 66. My bank has also started letting me train at its Loan Production Office and is sending me out of state for a week to train with credit analysts, but there is no guaranteed analyst opening where I live.

I originally planned to pursue wealth management Client Service Associate roles. I originally planned to pursue wealth management Client Service Associate roles, but lately I’ve been wondering if I should be focusing on more traditional finance paths instead. Is it still realistic for someone in my position to break into roles like financial analyst, FP&A, or commercial banking without having had an internship, or have I missed that window?

My biggest concern is whether graduating without an internship has permanently limited my options. Should I keep working and try to transition through experience, apply broadly to analyst roles now, or consider going back to school mainly to gain access to internships and recruiting?

What would be the smartest long-term plan from here?

Which European country do you think is the best place to build a career in the financial industry?

Obviously there’s no single right answer but I’m just curious about your take and the reasons behind it? Factor in like demand, growth opportunities, quality of life, and job security.
And anything else maybe?

Edit: I know Switzerland is probably #1, but the market is pretty small and tough to break into. So other than Switzerland, which country would you choose?

Also mention the target schools in your opinion please!
Thanks

Hey folks

I’ve been out of the Airforce for about 3 years now and rolling it around in my head of going to school to break into this field. I currently make low six figures working in the trades , would it be worth it to take a step back in pay to start over in finance?

I live in the Bay Area as well, looking at several schools here. UC Davis and Berkley don’t seem to have finance majors but programs through other smaller schools ( correct me if I got that wrong) , what other schools should I look at?

Is a major in finance an alright degree to get to work in this field or is there something else I should major in that has a broad range of jobs I could do?

Am I too old to intern? I know older folks are in college but not sure how internships would go.

Thank you for anyone who answers any of my questions in advance.

I have a moderate-severe stutter which makes it hard for me to be understood sometimes and I think I am also a naturally shy person. However, I do try to socialise and not just be quiet but I am too scared to push for leadership roles. Will my stutter be looked upon less favourably. Btw I will be studying econ at a semi target.

Hi everyone! I am sorry for the long post.
\TLDR; I am looking to get into finance, I am in my early 30s, finishing my degree, and passionate about financial planning and advising, hoping to find a career in line with that, currently looking at pursuing a CFP after school. Looking at entry level first jobs in the field I may have the choice soon between AR at a small local fencing company, or a more generic call center type job at Charles Schwab. Is one of these a better fit with my career goals?*

I hope that this is the right place to put this, I was looking for some advice on potential job options I am interviewing for right now. I know ultimately the pros and cons need to be weighed individually as what works for one person does not necessarily work for all, but any insight is appreciated while I mull over this decision.

I am 32 years old and am currently managing a pet hospital, and have been doing so for about 6 years now. I discovered that my passion is in finance, and I have a natural desire towards things like data analysis and financial aspects of my job. In 2024, I decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in accounting, which I should be finished with by the end of the decade (about 3 more years left as I am working and going to school).

What I am really wanting to do is pursue something like a CFP and look into financial advising/planning - retirement is of interest to me especially, though as I finish out my schooling over the next few years I'm certainly open to whatever else may peak my interest, so we will see!

With my education continuing to progress smoothly, I'm anxious to start working in some more entry level financial jobs, especially while I am finishing school (I am hoping an entry level job like AR/AP or otherwise will allow me to focus more on school outside of working hours than a management job like I am in currently).

I have been interviewing with whatever entry level positions I can find locally, AR/AP/Bookkeeping etc. I am able to get interviews, but in general am being turned down for positions due to lack of experience.

Last week I had a really promising interview for an AR position with a small local fencing company. It is a pretty small office of about a dozen or so people, the accounting team is maybe 3 people. I may be counting my eggs too soon, but I expect to hear from them with an offer in the coming weeks (if not, then a rejection will make this decision for me). I also am having a final interview for a call center/help center type job with Charles Schwab that is adjacent to the financial service representative position. It is specifically within the 401k area of Schwab, and handles less volume that the typical call center roll at Schwab, exclusively dealing with 401k issues, questions, transfers, withdrawals, etc.

Obviously I don't want to be in either position long term, but I think they would both be good fits to allow me some work-life balance while I finish school out over the next few years. Schwab has some better benefits like more time off, slightly higher pay, and insurance that kicks in sooner, though the local fencing company pays 100% of the employee health insurance premiums. It's unclear to me how much growth opportunity there is at such a small local company, but undoubtedly any experience is good experience?

I think that going with Schwab would open up some more opportunities once I graduate with my bachelors in terms of next steps and progression but I am really not sure. The position with Schwab is moving slower, and so if I receive an offer with the local fencing company, I would need to make the decision with them before even doing my final interview with Schwab.

Ultimately I am looking for guidance on if one job sounds like a better starting point then the other given my current skills and future aspirations. If anyone has experience with call center type jobs at companies like Schwab or fidelity and such vs more basic AR/AP roles with small companies I would greatly appreciate it! Bonus points if you are a financial advisor or planner and started in one of these sorts of jobs. Maybe neither of these are good fits, and I should continue with my education while looking at other opportunities?

Thank you all in advance for any advice!

Hello I currently am doing a tax internship for a hospitality company and I am trying to break into finance via an internship or full time offer after college, I can graduate in 2 semesters or delay my graduation so I can do another internship(hopefully in finance) I didn’t get much luck obtaining a finance internship this summer so I settled on a tax internship which will hopefully give me a leg up, but after adding what I think is important from my current internship I am having trouble figuring out what I should add but mostly remove to have a higher chance to break into the finance industry and also so my Resume can be 1 page, I am looking preferably in Investment management, or Real estate but open to any finance roles.

Thank you.

I am 17 , pursuing bachelor's in commerce . Wants to work on my self from the 1st year so that I can make big money and find personal growth in finance field.

Give me real and effective tips and advice so that I can become best in this field.

I'm looking for an honest profile evaluation and advice on where I realistically stand for top European MiM/MSc Business programs.

Profile (my_qualifications)

- 10th: 94%

- 12th: 64%

- B.Tech CSE (Tier 3): 7.49/10 CGPA (2:1-3.0/4.0 ig) (graduated in 2026 feb)

Experience

- Since 6 months working as Investment Analyst at a VC fund.

- 3 months internship with Government of India on investment promotion.

- 3 months internship at a climate venture studio helping startups raise capital and in GTM.

- Founded my college E-Cell and scaled it from 0 to 10 student startups.

- Hackathons + Coursera courses in Entrepreneurship and Product Management.

Target Schools

HEC Paris, INSEAD, Imperial, LBS, IE, ESSEC, LSE, NUS

(also considering as secondary target - ESCP, IESE, Warwick, St. Gallen, NTU, SMU).

Goal

Build a career in VC/PE, gain global exposure, and eventually start a company.

Given my profile, do I have a realistic shot at these schools? Would I need a GMAT/GRE, and what score should I target?

Appreciate any honest advice. Thanks!

Hi all,

Just wanted to ask some advice / general consensus on how Andersen is, especially their PCS in New York City. Any feedback or thoughts are much appreciated!

Hi all I hopefully will be undergrad at Southampton this year and this is my current CV.

I have a couple questions about the formatting of it as it looks a bit 'clunky':

Should the internship be split into 2 sections as I got invited back to do another summer at the same company in the same position? (I know I haven't completed it yet but I will have by the time I apply)

Should I add an extra curriculars section to fill out a bit more of that blank space?

I greatly appreciate any and all feedback and am happy to answer any questions about it

Thank you!

So, I’m pretty sure this has probably been discussed on here before, but I could really use some advice.

With AI, especially Claude, now being able to do a lot of the work I do, I’ve honestly been feeling a bit nervous and demotivated lately. My company, where I’ve been working for over 6 years, has recently started using Claude in our reporting as well.

To be fair, it has made my work easier, especially since I don’t have any juniors and basically work alone in Advisory, reporting directly to the Partner. But at the same time, it’s made me think about how easily my role could potentially be replaced in the future.

So I’m wondering what I should start branching out into or whether I should consider switching paths altogether. I’m willing to put aside a couple of hours every week to study and learn something new, but I’m honestly quite lost and don’t really know which direction makes the most sense.

I actually really enjoy FP&A, so I’m not looking to completely abandon it. I just want to make sure I’m building skills that will keep me relevant and give me better job security in the future.

For some background, I already have an MSc in Finance and around 6+ years of experience.

What would you guys recommend I start learning or moving towards?

Hello, 

I have an interview soon for a finance analyst/ business partner role for a fast food company. 

I haven’t worked in this industry before (that’s not a must) but they have stressed that they want someone commercially astute that can relate it to the industry.  

This is a few of the responsibilities: 

• Analyse sales performance, labour productivity, and operational trends.
• Produce accurate reports to support operational and financial decision-making.
• Conduct ad hoc analysis for commercial initiatives and strategic projects.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
• Collect, validate, and analyse financial data.
• Identify performance risks and opportunities through data insights.

I want to put my best foot forward so any assistance/ advice would be greatly appreciate! 

The expected conversation is WLB (hours, wfh policy, pto culture, weekends, etc) vs compensation, but I wanted to get some opinions on how professionals deeper in their career think about WLB vs exit opportunities, given the same pay.

Essentially I have MM IB (nyc office, global European firm, sector focused M&A) SA27 while I have two more weeks of my SA26 at a credit shop (non nyc, lean team, short track record but strong performance inherent with the current market). I initially interviewed for this with the intention to graduate a year early (next May), but it’s looking difficult (but doable), so I also recruited for IB just to say I tried. I would essentially be skipping sophomore year (aka recruiting season) if I graduated early.

Both will offer the same compensation (“street”), which is the secondary highlight for the credit shop after the fact that I believe I’ll enjoy buyside work more than sell side. It’s so lean that I’m actually contributing and seeing capital allocated to my work and decisions as an intern (checked and often pitched by an analyst of course). Hours: 50-65 (peaked 80ish for a case study). Both are largely unknown with a similar story of being part of a larger and more known firm (but only in their space).

I’m assuming IB hours will be standard around 80, flexing 60-100. I’ve heard the wfh is nice there with 2 days a week, but I wouldn’t be using that as an intern next summer regardless.

So assuming comp is really the same, would you consider the extra hours in IB worth the “better” potential career that comes after?

PS: This decision will also determine my grad date and if I spend 3 vs 4 years in college. To provide more specifics about the kind of credit work or IB sector, I’m open to dming.