Career Advice (more and long) (archive)

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In Reply to: !!!Occupation!!! posted by Crazyquik on April 08, 2000 at 21:27:45:

My advice to you, is to study and major in a subject that you truly enjoy. Do NOT chase dollars. I graduated from University five years ago with a BS in Commerce, concentrating in Finance and Accoutning, with a minor in German. I got a position as an analyst with an investment banking firm in NC and have been with the company since then, being promoted to an associate over a year ago. I-banking is NOT for the faint of heart. In my previous group, I was consistently working about 100+ hours a week on deals (typically not leaving until 1am or so). There are a lot of demands put on young analysts, and that leaves little time to cultivate a social life outside the bank. It's something that you either concede to, or really love. Despite the work load and stress, it is rewarding when you close a transaction and have the opportunity to celebrate the victory with others on the dealteam.

That said, a lot of my colleagues came into banking with no prior business experience, and a variety of disciplines are represented. My firm has a rigourous training programme for newly minted analysts, giving you the foundation you need to do well. The rest is initiative and a desire to learn. If I were to go back in time, I probably would have majored in something I love, like history or German or music, certainly not accounting and finance. I most likely would have ended up at the same place. Not only does your enthusiasm for your concentration stand out for recruiters, but it makes you a well rounded person. I-banks like well rounded people, and if I-banking, brokerage, consulting, accounting, etc. is the career route you want to pursue, you'll need something to take your mind off your work.

For me, that's studying history and, of course, cars. I have a '95 M3 that I picked up a couple years ago, and I love it. It was a little more than I should have invested at the time (and I drove a great '95 Honda Accord EX at the time). But, my passion for cars got the best of me. Now, I have a huge commitment to the track and have participated in drivers' schools, made selective mods to the car and am considering a dedicated track car. Yes, things kind of fell in place, but money will follow passion, passion should not follow money.

My 2 cents, and let me know if you have any questions or otherwise. I'm in Charlotte, NC, so I'm not too far away.

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