Over on the Ask Us Anything section we’re starting to see the same questions come up. This post is going to address why the advice won’t change and how we can save time together.
1) How Do I improve my Diet? We have covered diet advice in a post. If you haven’t taken a look then go ahead and read the post. If you’re slogging 80 hours a week you need to be efficient and as we stated before, if you don’t want to read the post, here’s the basic outline:
Breakfast: Fruit + Protein. Worst case a protein shake in the AM and a banana/fruit bowl on your way to work
Lunch: If you have a high paying job, lunch is used to improve your political positioning so you always eat with people so suck up the $10-12 meals
Dinner: You can get $25+ from your company, do not waste it on unhealthy food. Most people will eat terribly which starts the downward spiral. There are hundreds of options online using seamless. If you don’t have to work late… then make your meal at home after your day is done.
By doing this you guarantee 2/3 of your main meals are healthy. Lunch may be hit or miss, but if you’re smart all 3 will be perfectly fine and you won’t break the bank.
2) What Bank do I Join? Again this question misses the point by a country mile. The question is, which bank will allow me to get promoted the fastest. If you have no idea which bank then go by the rule of thumb
Elite Boutique (Moelis, Qatalyst, Centerview, Evercore, Lazard, etc.)
Bulge Bracket (Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Citi, etc.)
Middle Market (Jefferies, Piper Jaffray, etc.)
No-Name Banks (simply make sure it is the same job function)
No, we will not get into a back and forth about “what exactly is E-Boutique versus not” it is up to you to make that decision but if you’ve done your due diligence the answer will be extremely obvious. If they pay above top bonuses at a bulge bracket… it’s an E-boutique. If it pays the same as a BB… it’s probably smarter to choose the BB.
After your very first job none of this matters at all anymore. From that point forward you choose the firm that is going to promote you the fastest. Think smart. It is about responsibility not prestige.
“F*** prestige get money”
Put that quote on your cubicle. People who obsess over prestige have never had a long career on Wall Street. Maximum of maybe 5 years. To put the nail in the coffin check out one of two blogs we recommend (we only recommend Danger and Play and Financial Samurai). Click on FS’s blog… notice something? He started at a top shop but his real money came in after getting promoted and generating a ton of revenue. **hint hint**
3) When Should I Work Out? Well do you even work out? If you’re under 30 years old and you don’t work out 6 days a week you’ve already lost in the first place. If you have been working out 6 days a week, you probably already have a healthy routine! See how that works? So the question is not when you should work out it is if you even work out in the first place. We got this question many times and the answer when pushed is exactly the same.
If you work on the East Coast you go to the gym first thing in the morning. If you work on the West Coast you go to the gym after work.
You can feel free to change this if you’re a morning person or a night owl but it really misses the point. The point is this:
“There is no science, there is simply consistency.”
Consistency is how you keep yourself honest. If you can make it to the gym every single day and lift correctly, you’re going to see gains.
4) What Do You Think About the Stock Market Levels? Always the same answer, do not care at all. You should not care if the S&P is at 1,700 or 2,000… simply dollar cost average into cheap ETFs such as VOO, SPY etc.
If you’re trying to beat the stock market and you only have a half million dollars or so in the bank, you’re wasting your time. $500K in the bank to invest is pretty much a waste of effort. It means if you beat the bench mark by call it 5% that is only $25K. You may as well go and chase real revenue in a business. $25K for 10+hours a week is only $48/hour… That is significantly worse than what you’re making on the job anyway.
If the economy collapses? It doesn’t matter again. Generally recessions last about a year so you simply sit around and take the extra cash that was on the sidelines and buy any time there is a large correction. Your cash was on the sidelines because you want to continue buying through the dips so you get lower entry prices. Maybe you lost your job for a few months. No big deal. You had cash on the side to keep buying and get your next position.
If the market goes up 20%? Great already exposed getting richer!
What if inflation goes “crazy”? Again already own assets… getting richer! Only poor people think inflation is a bad thing.
5) I Make $50K and I am X Years Old What Do I Do? Some tough love and inspiration at the same time. First why in the world did you do this to yourself? If you look around there is money everywhere. A weekend in a high cost city driving an Uber will net you $30+ an hour. That is an extremely low estimate and yet that gets you an extra $60K per year. Why is it an *extra* 60K per year? Well, if you’re not working at least 80 hours per week and you’re broke, you have no one to blame but yourself. Anyone who believes they should be rich working 40 hours a week is going to be in for a rude awakening.
If you attempt to come back with the “but i’m smart” argument, you’re going to get laughter on this side of the web. Why? If you were actually *smart but lazy* you wouldn’t be broke in the first place right? It is much smarter to control what you can control. Go ahead and start slogging those long hours because at some point everyone pays their dues.
Finally, to put the nail in the coffin on this one… If you believe that anything over 40 hours is “too much work” then how exactly are you going to catch up to someone better than you putting in more time? If Person A is working 60 hours a week making $100K per year and you’re working 40 hours a week making $50K… You’re already making significantly less than Person A on an “hourly basis” and there is no way you’re going to catch up by working less and learning less.
Get to the grind!
6) Does Money Attract Women? Yes. Anyone who says otherwise has never made a good amount of money. Here is a general guideline since the question is asked so frequently:
$50K or less: it will be a negative to your sex life because you are not making enough
$50K – $100K: in a regular city this will be perfectly fine, in a major city it is still a detriment to your sex life
$100K-$175K: in a regular city you’re doing well, in a major city it now has no negative or positive impacts to your sex life
$175-$250K: Positive impact to your sex life in practically every city
$250-500K: Significant positive, less because of your life but because of the value of your time. At this point you’re extremely busy, you’re traveling, you’re not available, these are traits that will make you incredibly attractive. It won’t be possible to fake these trips/traits.
$500K+: It is practically impossible to blow through this type of money with common sense and everything in the previous tier are truer.
$1M+: If you can make this income at any point in your life you’re set. Your life changes because all of your actions value your time and comfort. You fly business/first class and do not care. You live a life that is impossible to fake.
Given the range and scope of this blog, it is certainly possible to get to $250-500K (before mid 30′s of course). This is achievable for anyone who wants it. When you start pushing up on high 6 figures and 7 figure numbers, you’re going to have to do something special.
Finally, there is no need to bother asking people like us. You can check out James Altucher’s blog, a multi-millionaire, who comes to the same conclusion… money gets girls.
(Caveat: before all the guys who live on shoestring budgets come in, yes you still need some social skills. That is about it though. If you don’t have some sort of social disease you’re going to be perfectly fine if you ever obtain large amounts of money)
7) Can You Hire Me? No
8) Are You Writing a Book? Maybe, not enough page views as of today. Creating a book that will take a long amount of time. It is certainly not worth it for a 5 figure payoff.
9) Industry Overview on XXX Sector? Probably, these are for Wall Street folk and the blog is currently a ~50/50 split it seems. This means it’s likely but no promises.
10) Resume Reviews? Nope! Hate them.
11) Can You Redesign the Blog? 100% agree needs to be re-done, no time-table yet though.
2) I am XX years old What do i Do to break in? We also get this one far too many times here’s the general guideline. Unless you have something spectacular you are holding back, this is the backdrop.
Analyst: If you are 25 years old or younger, keep gunning for an entry level slot as an analyst. This means you pass CFA level 1 if you have absolutely no finance experience to prove you understand the basics and then you get straight to networking. If you’re at a non-target then read our post on how to network/recruit. Now if you are from a no name school, no work experience and low GPA. You have next to no shot and are better off going to get an MBA later in life. This is the truth. As a non-target or older candidate with no experience, you need to have something to bring to the table otherwise you will lose time and time again to 22 year old candidates with banking internships, top GPAs and a great school.
Associate: If you are 26-33 years old this is your second chance to break in. If you have nothing related to finance, probably best to get an MBA.
Vice President and Above: Likely 33+ years old and you’re making a switch from a revenue generating career. In this case you should already know if you’re well qualified. Generally speaking, if you’re in a sales role or run a product line at a firm and are paid $300K+… You’re likely a good fit (this is general as most people who are in this slot know if they have the skills to move to the sell-side or not)
There you have it, it will answer 99% of questions. If you’re young you simply network and spin your resume assuming you have some skills that are transferable. If you’re in your late 20s you’re likely better off with a top MBA.
Really hoping you do financing/working politics. Your game advice is great, but there’s so much shit written about that already. Take a step away from the manosphere and do something that will really provide for your readers (I’m sounding selfish now.)
If you really think you have as much info on game that’s never been touched on before as finance info that your readers have never been across go ahead. As a young guy, I’ve probably read 5 books on game. Not a single book on finance (aside from 37 signals.)
So in conclusion, yeah I’d personally be more interested in a book on finance than on game.
Thanks for the comment, will think about what type of finance book is needed.
I’m a 19 year old college junior at a top 25 school, 3.8 GPA in computational math (no finance courses, all math + comp sci stuff). Looking into breaking into finance, have a few options for internships at the moment:
(1) Cousin works at a hedge fund, could hook it up
(2) S+T firms have been recruiting me, nothing locked down but making it through the rounds
(3) Actuarial internship – yeahh this is the safe route to 80k/yr and stable 45 hr weeks
Basically I’m torn between doing (3) and knowing I’ll have a decent income and time to pursue my hobbies (mainly just game and working out right now), or doing (1) or (2), jobs with much heavier hours but also much higher potential reward. Building my career is important I do want to have the time to bang some hot girls in my 20’s as well too.
If you were me, what path would you take and why?
Thanks
No brainer, #1 or #2.
In 5 years there will be a 6 figure difference between your pay between paths 1 and 2 versus number 3. Don’t sell yourself short. Becoming an actuary is not even in the discussion.
Would you advise a virgin to prioritize and correct this even above one’s career and other endeavors, until corrected? In other words, should a virgin put the vast majority of his energy into game over his career, in order to lose his virginity first before then going back to working hard?
There is no excuse for not being able to do both. When you enter the workforce your life will become 100x more stressful relative to college.
In one of your posts you mention Brooks Brothers suits are poor quality. Could you recommend a good place to buy suits for entry-level, analyst type guys? How about a level up from there? Also, what to look for in general suit shopping? Thanks.
If you’re entry level you should have 1 staple suit that is well fitted and higher quality. The rest should be cheap $200-300 suits (Joseph A Bank has decent sales) that you have tailored so the brand name will not matter. Brooks Brothers is just an overrated banker targeted brand, no reason to buy expensive dress shirts when you’re not even ready to sport cufflinks on a daily basis at the entry level.
After your first 2 years or so your weight will likely change by ~20 pounds so there is no point in stepping up. Once you’ve made it to a higher paying position simply switch to Made to measure/bespoke wool suits.
the TL;DR for entry level is that people blow a bunch of money on things they certainly don’t need. You won’t miss a promotion because you’re not wearing the banker collar + brooks brothers + loafer combo.
What do you think about losing your virginity to an escort?
We don’t use escorts and don’t know anyone who has gone that route to lose the v-card.
Overall would say no, because you remember your first and you remember the last, the rest usually become a muddled mess unless it was incredibly crazy or she was in your top 5.
Any recommendations for a reading list on game, lifting weights, banking?
Already covered here and in approved products.
We are also running analytics to determine a book topic.
What are your thoughts on the following cognitive enhancers:
1. Bulletproof coffee ( low-toxic coffee + grassfed butter + MCT oil)
2. Provigil and Modafinil
3. Piracetam/Aniractams
I am going try each for 2 weeks one at a time and record results (daily notes, timed uninterrupted reading and recall, and an IQ test at the end of the 2 weeks) and just wanted to get any initial thoughts from you.
Get paid get laid!
1. Never tried it, so far extensive reviews say it is basically a fraud. You can try to buy it once then recreate the ingredients at home would be our suggestion. Again never tried it.
2. Already covered in a post. Just like all drugs used on a Wall Street you only use them in extreme circumstances. Once you have survived the painful years you shouldn’t need them anymore.
3. Also never tried it.
While it is great you realize that some drugs may be necessary to get the job done, be very very wary of becoming addicted to any of them. More than a few people get kicked out of the industry when it is apparent they have drug related problems, they are quickly let go.
Generally speaking, on the Street people use them on a rare occasion or two every 6 months or so, the people who get addicted usually don’t last very long, tread carefully.
Do you drink coffee much, or do the green drinks give you sufficient and lasting oomph for the day?
Yeah this is a tough one, usually when you start out you’re downing them left right and center. Once you’re in the industry for a while you switch to maybe a 12oz coffee every other day or stick with green tea.
Basically, when you start you’re using anything and everything to function, the goal is to not get addicted to any of it.
1. Im going to be an investment banking analyst, how do you recommend to game women and keep up a decent love life and hook ups while pushing 80-100 hour work weeks??
2. Top new years resolutions for people to have ? Looking to add a solid 5 to my list
1. Chances are she will slowly resent you and then nag you for hours on end about never seeing her after about a year. Better to get good at weekend night game, but that is your call
2. Will have a post
What are your takes on joining a restructuring group (BX, Lazard, HLHZ) compared with joining a m&a group at a BB?
How would the career progressions differ, and restructuring pigeon hole your career opportunities?
What do you want to do?
Not knowing that M&A is much better you can spin it into go to a merger arb hedge fund, go to PE or work in corporate finance M&A etc.
Restructuring is simply distressed products so if you like working with really messed up companies “fixing a mess” you will like it.
Open to both options right now. Was leaning towards restructuring in the beginning, but think there’s less opportunities in this field as companies have shored up their balance sheets/re-adjusted their cap structures couple of years back. With the amount of dry-powder sitting on the side-lines, seems like M&A would provide more opportunities.
What are some of the key differences between a M&A process and a distressed M&A process? From my understanding, the distressed M&A process could bypass some of the upfront work (less marketing materials needed).
Would restructuring experience be relevant for non-distressed investing PE shops, or would restructuring pigeon-hole analysts into special situations/distressed debt groups in the future?
Curious to hear your input.
I read the Danger and Play article you linked to on Twitter. However, I have heard the opposite from others who have also experienced both sides.
For the purposes of attracting women and creating positive impressions in business (such as respect), do you think it’s better to be big or lean overall? I’m talking about a natural lifter. The main advantages I see are as follows:
Lean (~10% body fat):
– Lighter and fitter
– Typically more energy and endurance
– Defined body and facial features (the latter is usually very identifiable and could make or break this argument)
– Come across as a well-maintained, healthy individual
Big (12-16% body fat):
– Denser overall body
– Fill out clothes and suits more
– More strength and power
– Come across as a dominant, and potentially intimidating, individual
I’m thinking lean is better for women and big is better for business, but I’m not sure really. Being big is more fun, but being lean has its unique advantages. Of course being either sets you well above the majority, but interested to hear your thoughts.
Unless you are certain your friends are not trolling you, go with D&P. People with no real life experience don’t get the right to an opinion on anything.
Therefore go with D&P or go ahead and do both and find out yourself.
I am a high school senior interested in working in Investment Banking at a Bulge Bracket on Wall Street. I have already been admitted to Tulane University with a $22,000 a year merit scholarship. I am also applying to Colgate University and Hamilton College which have better alumni networks than Tulane, better internship opportunities, and other career related help. My family can afford to pay the tuition at Colgate and Hamilton, I just don’t know if I should do that since we would save $22,000 a year if I went to Tulane. Do you think it’s worth saving $22,000 a year and having to scramble after I graduate to network and get an interview at a Bulge Bracket or should I go to Colgate or Hamilton, pay the tuition, and have an easier time getting a job due to their alumni network and career help? Thanks for any advice you can give!
First of all f***ing CONGRATULATIONS! Anyone who gets a full ride like that is seriously 10000000x ahead of the pack.
With that said, none of our writers went to to the schools you mentioned.
If banks recruit from all of them you made the right choice. Let us know if we can help further but we didn’t attend those schools sadly. : /
Thanks! I guess my real question is, ignoring the specific schools, is it worth attending a non target if it will save $22,000 a year?
That is tough. $22K is a lot, if banks don’t recruit it will be much much harder. Probably best to live off campus crammed full of roommates and work while in school to be honest. Non target recruiting is no cake walk.
Carefully run all the numbers.
Thank you, it’s a hard decision to make, but you helped to shed light on the situation. Hope to be on Wall Street 5 years from now.
I’ve been working at a regional commercial bank for about 3 yrs (since graduation), underwriting commercial loans (typical loan size ~$15M). I am well respected here and have already been promoted twice. Salary is roughly about 70 with great work/life balance. However, the job isn’t very challenging anymore and i’d like to get out of my comfort zone (and also make more money). Knowing my experience will not get me BB jobs, I’ve been looking at smaller/local IB/PE shops. But I feel like I am in an awkward position since most companies seem to look for 2014 college/MBA grads for the Analyst position. Would it be better for me to just stay here for another yr or so and get MBA then find IB/PE jobs? Can you provide some thoughts on transitioning from commercial bank to IB/PE? I am lost and not sure what to do at the moment.
You are correct, you’re a “tweener”. If you want to make the jump to IB you’re likely best suited for DCM since your experience is in major loans.
In your shoes the a lot you can shoot for is perhaps a “senior” analyst role at a bank in DCM. Your history of promotions can be “spun” to imply maturity.
Use our résumé template and see if you can get traction for a 2nd/3rd year role and hit us with questions if you get interviews.
Hello gents,
To keep this short and sweet – (currently on year abroad in Spain) Studying international business in Ireland. Looking for an internship in management consultancy in London’s equivalent to wall street.
Not brilliant with numbers (especially those numerical tests when applying) but great with people and interviews.
I’m finding it hard to get through the initial stages when looking for a summer internship. Resume is clean and transferrable experience is highlighted.
Have you any tips in getting though to being recruited or even suggesting a different pathway to go down?
Cheers.
Not sure about consulting. We don’t give advice based on zero experience.
Try managementconsulted.com
If you want IB help feel free to ask. Good luck brother!
What are your thoughts on Wolf of Wall St?
Not related to how the industry works at all today. We keep getting this question privately as well so we’ll watch it, reluctantly, in January.
How many girls do you approach a day /how do you handle rejections? I usually do 5 day but at bars I do up to 10-15 and some nights are brutal. Try not to aim to low or high from my league.
If you care about rejections you haven’t had enough success yet. Not an insult, it is simply true, if you have X notches under your belt or have achieved Y things in your life that you never dreamed were possible you’ll never care about rejection again.
Now maybe 3-10 a day. Depends on your age, we continue to suggest heavily focusing on a career first before blowing your youth chasing girls. So 3-5 should be plenty.
You want to slowly improve your social skills and 5 a day is going to do a lot for you over 365 days straight.
With regards to picking M&A vs Restructuring:
Open to both options right now. Was leaning towards restructuring in the beginning, but think there’s less opportunities in this field as companies have shored up their balance sheets/re-adjusted their cap structures couple of years back. With the amount of dry-powder sitting on the side-lines, seems like M&A would provide more opportunities.
What are some of the key differences between a M&A process and a distressed M&A process? From my understanding, the distressed M&A process could bypass some of the upfront work (less marketing materials needed).
Would restructuring experience be relevant for non-distressed investing PE shops, or would restructuring pigeon-hole analysts into special situations/distressed debt groups in the future?
Curious to hear your input.
To be honest at an entry level the deal process is not incredibly different. The difference again is what we mentioned above “the spin”. I would worry less about “the transaction” and worry more about “what kind of companies I will work with”.
Yes spinning restructuring can be pitched to PE because you are spending time looking at a biz and deciding if it can be fixed.
To give you an example: if you do nothing but consumer restructuring transactions.
Going to a consumer Merger Arb fund or consumer PE fund.
A person doing Straight M&A but at a major shop, did consumed/tech/medical etc. AND has major experience will best the above guy because he will likely have more interview options.
The situation you are describing is simply a “great problem to have” so we again suggest you ask “what do I want to do”.
A top shop restrux and top M&A shop is getting very nitty gritty with details because a person who can land both jobs at an entry level usually has a good idea regarding the type of work he wants to do in the future and then decides in that fashion.
Your Playlists?
Do you stil advice to take a year off carreer orientation and just tend bars to up your game and lose your virginity? (I am 21)
Not sure what you mean by playlists, simply choose a nice variety of music you like.
We would NEVER advise blowing up your career just to have sex with a girl. The bartending comment is just an idea for people who have free time between starting their career and college.
Never never never take a year off to “find yourself” when you’re young. All your decisions compound over time, smart decisions young mean amazing life in the future. Dumb decisions young mean a life time of struggle.
i have a day2 with a girl i have history with. should i pull straight home or go to a bar for some drinks first?
Not sure what a history means, but if you have not bagged her, bar next to your place is your best bet.
What’s your take on the manosphere and using TRT/Steroids? Is that necessary for anyone below 35?
That’s a good question. Overall would say “keep your eyes open”. Read up on the topic and then get blood work done, that is the first step. If all of your blood work is amazing and off the charts then there is no reason to even touch the stuff.
The reason we suggest keeping your eyes open is because it may be necessary depending on what you would like to do later in life. Lots of celebrities, athletes etc are on gear so you have a very good sample size to monitor over the next decade or so.
If your blood work comes back with poor results 1) read up on all of the items yourself, 2) consult with someone already on TRT and 3) make sure you have proper doseage. On the Street a few people actually do run gear, particularly traders/market hours high stress positions.
Learning about the market being broke and coming from a small european city; taking up a Market Simulation Game and …?
Is wallstreetsurvivor.com a credible source or is your “Approved Products” + market experience the best way?
Your opinion on Applied Math Bachelor’s?
If it’s not real money it is not real experience so all fake trading portfolios are of no value. If you lose $10K in fake money that is not the same as losing $10K in real money. The difference is substantial because it triggers real stress in your mind, brain and body.
If you’re trying to get into Wall Street it is definitely not the best path. A degree in finance + 3-5 internships will set you much further ached of the pack. We have talked about math usage on Wall Street several times, unless you want to be a quant it is not necessary. Check on the post titled “myths about Wall Street”.
Hello, guys, and thanks for all your inner game tips! Cool!
My question is:
How to play social circle game? How to build connections with people and create mastermind groups?!
Thank YOU so MUCH!
Basically all social circle game is “the most interesting/fun person in the group. Similar to club game when you leave people should be disappointed. People should be excited to hear you’re going to X event with them or that you are showing up in general. Until you get there social circle game is going to be harder. Overall, social circle game is extremely over rated. You have to balance egos, it’s harder to spin plates etc.
Not sure what a mastermind group is, but guessing you mean a good set of friends? The only real friends you want are people who are better than you. In your phone right now you need to have one guy making more money than you, one guy in better shape than you and one guy getting more chicks than you. If someone is doing all three even better. But without the direct guidance you’re in trouble.
In regards to your last tweet as of now: “People should be disappointed when you leave the room. Air out of a balloon. If not you’re not running game at a high enough level.”
This suggests you should the “life of the party”, but basically in all situations. Normally, the life of the party is the natural extrovert. I’d like to work on my game; it needs work. BUT I am admittedly more introverted than extroverted. Is it really possible to be the life of the party when you weren’t really born that kind of person with a really colorful personality?
The more you go out and meet people the more you will realize you’re not a introverted person. The truth is people are all animals that need socializing, fun, human interaction etc. If you go and visit solitary confinement, you’ll see it can actually ruin the human mind (no human contact). Basically, your goal in life should be to enjoy meeting new people. If you like people you won’t have a problem socializing ever again.
All that aside. You don’t have to be off the walls 24/7, there are many cool guys who are more low key (think of a surfer) and if they show up to X event people are usually thrilled to see them.
Don’t know a single person who is winning in the game (both women and money) who walks into a room to see everyone cringe at their presence.
Thank you. Additionally… when you just start out trying to increase your game at night, how can you avoid getting discouraged and depressed furthermore if you fail hard? I kind of expect this to happen as I have been pretty solitary for a long time and so I’m going to be pretty inept when I start trying to improve my social skills. Failure is imminent, in reality, so I need to somehow prepare myself for that.
Basically, I don’t want to be so disappointed and shook that I start associating going out with negative thoughts, and therefore return to my typical solitary life.
Just got your last tweet; I’ll think of Kanye. Thanks.
Life is about taking punches not about giving them out. When people see nothing phases you, they’ll be curious.
Should virgins attempt to up their notch count, or look to LTRs for a more constant stream of sex?
Start with losing the V-card first before you worry about lifestyle management. No point in asking the question until you have the situation in front of you.
Don’t put the cart before the horse
WSP-
I am currently at top (H/S/W) b-school after serving in the military. I secured a BB internship. What factors should I consider when recruiting for a specific group? Given macro conditions of the economy, what group (all things being equal) would you lean towards and away from?
Thanks.
First of all congrats on the internship, all work experience is 100x more important than any degree you will ever get.
That said, don’t fall into the “prestige trap” read our post on the myths about Wall Street. What you want to do is find the following in a Group/Bank
1) Promote within (if they don’t promote you’re going to be booted out in a few years – unclear if you’re an MBA or not)
2) Livable life style in 3-5 years (if Vice Presidents are working 100 hours a week you’re at the
wrong bank)
Since you’re starting at a major bank, your first order of business is getting an offer. After that do everything you can to contact every other bank in the area and find the one with a history of promotions. Nothing else matters. I would write that on your wall and tattoo it on your hand.
If you can get promoted it means you make another $50K a year, or more. Making $150K as an analyst means nothing if you’re booted out in 3 years. Making $500K as a VP is when the game changes.
WSP-
I have the opportunity through YPO- WPO to apply to a few financial internships. However, I am a sophomore in college and do not possess any relevant work experience to include in my resume. I have poured hundreds of hours into reading, trading a portfolio, and other extra- curricular activities. I also have a 3.8 GPA from a Non- target school. My goal is to work for and eventually start a HF.
What would be the best way to structure my resume and/or make myself stand out?
I am also applying to a few target schools for transfer, so this information will assist in that endeavor as well.
Not sure what YPO-WPO is so we can’t comment on the process, however if you’re looking for ways to get into Wall Street we strongly suggest the post on “standing out as a non-target” we have a long-winded post on how to stand out as a non-target.
Based on your post (this is not an insult) you appear to be a highly motivated person who is spinning his wheels (a common phrase on the Street). What this means is you’re not putting your effort in the right areas.
Your job experience is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than your 3.8 GPA.
Put yourself in the shoes of an interviewer… Would you rather hire someone who as actually done job X or would you hire someone who has self studied job X…. the answer is clear, you always hire the person with real experience.
With that said we strongly strongly suggest you stop all of the reading and spend more time networking and getting real experience.
To give you an idea of how competitive the Street has gotten, the top tier banks rarely even interview students without an internship these days.
I have a question on Game. This is something I am still actively working on, and I want to get a lay and be confident in my skills before I put this to the side and work solely on my money making skills.
I have been doing pickup for a year now, have done 1500-2000 approaches, but still haven’t gotten laid. I think I may have pinpointed my issue. I will try to explain it via an example, from a date that I went on, and then I will ask my question.
I opened this cute HB8.5 on POF, she replied and we talked back and forth for a bit before she said I had very luscious lips, to which I replied that they are very kissable. Shortly thereafter I asked her on a date, she agreed. I didn’t really plan anything other than getting a coffee and walking around the city, because I don’t have a place downtown in the city (neither did she, she lived with her parents just like me).
We met up as agreed, and this girl looked very good. She was in a nice dress (it was summer), and high heels with makeup making her look very sexy. Being inexperienced in this whole seduction thing, and somewhat afraid I took her to a park some distance away and we sat down and talked. I tried light kino, but never kissed her (I don’t remember if I went for the kiss, it was a while ago) and then after talking in the park for a while I decided to take her to walk around to the harbour and sit and look at the view. The date ended when she started complaining she was tired and wanted to go home. Naturally, she stopped replying to texts and I saw her again.
Now looking back, I realized that she was likely planning to fuck, but I disappointed her.The reason that I never suggested going anywhere was because I don’t have my own place to take a girl but the most important reason is, I am afraid. I do not have experience in sexing up girls so I wasn’t sure how to get to the fucking.
Finally, for my question. Can I just simply suggest to a girl, lets go to a hotel and grab some drinks/watch a movie,etc? Do I need to really plan elaborate dates? It seems outside of my reality that women would want to fuck on a first date, does that even happen? How do I make it not awkward?
In this example, could I have suggested to go grab some food and drinks at a hotel? (if you guys have better plausible deniability please share).
Help would be appreciated.
Quite the long question there. This is how you should tackle it.
1. Find a player near you to help you fix your game. 2000 approaches and zero lays means you’re definitely not doing something right, IE: you’re doing something wrong consistently.
2. Living at home is a bad set up, strongly suggest you fix your career before you worry about women since a centrally located apartment in a major city will give you the ability to talk to 100’s of people a day and you won’t have to worry about logistics.
3. We recommend renting an apartment instead of getting a hotel. Simply say you’re “in town for X days for work”
All that aside this really is the point of the legitimate blogs in the sphere. Women and men can sense real success. No matter what you do, if you want to improve your confidence/game you have to become a successful person. Ruining the rest of your life simply to chase a few girls is not a good decision. If you’re making good money, living the life you want to live, doing what you want to do, you’ll find that people will gravitate to you instead of you gravitating to them. So again if you want to get laid, find a player in your city immediately and then focus all efforts on fixing your financial situation.
Good luck!
As an investment banker, are you prohibited from holding any stocks at all, or can you own stocks in the industries that you specialize in? Obviously the answer would be no for stocks of companies you are currently working with… but what about the others in the industry (or even in completely unrelated industries)?
You cannot hold stocks for companies you work with.
Example: it would be incredibly illegal to own shares of company B when you’re working on selling… Company B.
Each compliance department has its own rules. A general rule of thumb is to not own your industry though. As an example, if you work primarily with Healthcare stocks, you will not be able to own health care stocks.
The worst case scenario is a generalist at a hedge fund or some Merger Arb funds… Why? You will be restricted on owning anything you work with/may invest in, so the number of things you can’t buy may go through the roof.
Just found the site, couldn’t stop reading, post after post, love what I’ve read.
Is there a “read these posts first”, “most popular posts”, or “best of wall street playboys” article?
What do you guys think are your best pieces or any favorites from the archives?
I’ll keep reading and bookmarking my favorites, would love to hear what some of yours are.
Thanks
What information?
Just a suggestion, you should consider a search function to search for posts.
We have a search function, right side top of the page.
Hey PB
Currently I’m 25 and I just got my degree in Biology/Chemistry. While I didn’t mind it in school, I’m not looking forward to going back for even more schooling, or making shit wages as a technician to an scientist. On top of that, I didn’t make the highest grades, because again, I honestly didn’t exactly like the subject.
I’m thinking either Quant Finance, or IBD, and I don’t mind going back to school if it comes down to it, so what are my options in terms of exit opps, and career longevity with both fields. Either way, I Ideally want to get the ball rolling NOW to break in whether it’s through intense networking, etc.
If you’re going to change careers you need to have something on your résumé related to finance at this point.
Becoming a Quant and going into IBD have next to nothing in common. Quant is for PHD mathematics IBD is a sales role where an MBA would work better.
In your case an MBA makes more sense (if you want to do IBD) after a few years of real work experience, then you “spin” your health care experience as an interest in…. Healthcare investment banking.
With limited info it is tough to answer though.
Any advice on finding apartments? I’ve landed an analyst gig at an NYC boutique out of college and want to keep expenses low. I saw above that you consider $1865/mo high, but I’ve yet to find a centrally located studio under $2K. If you were in my shoes, where would you go to find affordable housing?
This is a layup. Get a roomate. Your first two years are hell and girls won’t care too much if you have a roomate since you just graduated from college.
Don’t waste the money on year one when you can take advantage of cheaper rent, focus on work performance and girls won’t care at all.
When you’re 25 or so… Definitely should be able to live alone.
One more thing, for the love of humanity, do not tell girls at the club/bar that you’re an investment banking analyst you’ll cockblock yourself and they will die of boredom.
Congrats and good luck!
What do you tell girls then for your occupation?
Also, same question but I have an investment banking analyst position in SF after I graduate, any tips/advice on where to live, a reasonable cost? I’ve heard from people living down there in SF now that SF is just as expensive as NYC.
Same idea as always, something illogical. “Dolphin trainer”, “criminal”, “ice cream truck driver”. The point is to avoid stepping into logical boring conversations that make her eyes roll into the back of her head.
No different than the advice on this blog, get a roommate if you need to. Try to be near work for the first couple of years at least, figure that anything 10 minutes away or further from your office is bad news.
Appreciate the advice, will definitely rent with a buddy. Any suggestions as far as neighborhoods go? The office is in Midtown, on 42nd St, a few blocks from Murray Hill. Though a guy at the firm said Murray Hill is old news, head to the meatpacking district instead, which is about a 10 min cab ride away. You guys have any thoughts on the matter?
Ideally, if you can get a cool roomate try to get right around NYU. Draw a line from your office and end it at the beginning of the university and you want to try to get in that area.
This will set you up nicely because you’ll be a short ride away from the better night life areas and you won’t be too far where you’re dying from the commute.
It is your first job, Work performance >>> any girls you’re going to pull at your age. If you have to choose between a place closer to work or a place closer to the nightlife… well it is a no brainer and choose the place closer to work.
Hey!
I’m 15 years old, got a plan for life and passion for finance. My goal is to build my way to Wall Street.
Which steps would you take on my place?
In what directions should I go now to develop myself as a man to my late twenties?
This one is easy. Get into a Target School and try to work any and all low level finance positions. If any of your friends/family work in finance happily volunteer to cold call/get coffee/help print documents/help organize files… Literally anything.
In life there are only a few major turning points: 1) Your school, 2) Your first Job and 3) where you are at the age of 30.
If you can nail down all three, which you can easily do if you found this blog already, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear.
Why do most IBD analysts have easier times breaking into PE after their 2-year stint compared to entering into Hedge Funds? Seems like hedge funds like to hire PE associates instead of IBD analysts.
What’s the difference in skill-set for an associate in PE vs an analyst in a hedge fund?
This one is another layup. We suggest you read the post on navigating Wall Street as well.
Investment banking to PE is the most transferable. In PE you are buying companies and you work with bankers who are selling companies. Practically all of the work is 100% transferable. Instead of writing and creating Information Memorandums and teasers… You’re reading them.
The reason why more people go to PE instead of hedge funds is because 1) it is easier again skills are more transferable, 2) lots of IBD guys don’t even trade their own portfolio so you have zero shot during a HF interview if you can’t pitch a stock and 3) generally there are also more openings for PE than a good HF. HFs still recruit because the stress levels in IBD are high, stress levels at a HF are even higher.
Skills for PE: Modeling, understanding enter and exit prices, ability to raise funds and great political skills
Skills for HF: immediate fast results (all changes in numbers must be analyzed ASAP, no speed and you’re fired), ability to pick stocks, ability to raise funds by seeking out new investors
Thanks a lot. I didn’t ask the question but this is very helpful. If the stress scale is IB –> HF, where does PE sit generally, if we take the “median culture” across all PE firms?
Would you say it’s IB –> PE –> HF … or … PE –> IB –> HF?
They are all hard. If forced to choose: HF hardest > PE medium > IB easiest in terms of overall stress levels.
People get plucked from IB because on a relative basis it is much more stressful than any other job out of college. 2 years in investment banking is basically 5 years in a regular corporate finance job.
OK. If I do the typical 2 years in IB, I will be 23 by the end of it. Do you think I’m going to end up looking 28 by then, or can you “recover” will slightly better hours and more control over what you eat (going into PE)?
hahaha! 2 years is not going to do anything to you. To be honest if you spend the money on healthy food, staying in the gym etc. You will look YOUNGER than your age.
People who tell you 2 years is going to age you are either 1) lazy and want to make excuses for not putting in the work 2) want to scare you away or 3) are jealous of your income.
I’m studying Civil Engineering currently 2 years into a 3 year degree in the UK. However the potential pay doesn’t line up with what I want(too late to change now). What area of finance would you recommend to give me the best chance of breaking into this sector? What do I need to learn before attempting this?
Thanks, Christian.
Get finance internships, take accounting, intro to finance and then simply apply to the sector you want to get into.
Engineering is great for showing you’re smart, but as we have stated too many times on this blog, at the end of the day without the right classes and without the right job experience you won’t have a chance.
1) Take intro finance classes, 2) work as many internships as possible, 3) decide on the piece of wall street you want to work under (information in multiple posts on the blog) 4) land a gig!
1. What is investment banking(analyst) compensation expected to be for BB and MM banks? Flat increased? Is compensation expected to increase in the future (2014 and beyond) as M&A market picks up?
2. What are your thoughts on banks releasing statements of reduced work hours (i.e. free weekends or not allowed to work Saturdays for junior bankers). I understand that banks are trying to attract top talent as the long hours aren’t appealing to the top grads anymore (or as much as they used to be) Will it be effective? Do you see a change in Wall Street culture coming?
3. Advice in how to survive 100 hour work weeks?
4. This one is a longer question and I hope more in-depth answer. I secured an investment banking full time analyst position. A lot of people, classmates, friends, family ask why I’m going to put myself through the long stressful hours for the next several years. When people ask you that what is your answer (legitimate answer to why you do what you do, even if you just ignore them).. Personally what is your reason why? Is it because of the money? Passion for finance? Exit opps into HF/PE? To live like nobody else has? I’m trying to figure out my WHY.
1. None of our writers are analysts anymore however the general rule of thumb for a good bulge bracket banker all in compensation would be ~$120-140K (subtract $10K for smaller firms and add $10K for bulge bracket/e-boutique firm that does well that year). The bonus bool is definitely not up 15%+ as many are predicting (they are up only at specific shops) think of the pool as up 5% generally. You cannot predict bonuses out 1-2 years because they are based on 1) revenue from your group/firm and 2) return on equity and other company metrics. If the market grows you’ll get paid if the market rolls over you’ll be paid less.
2. Won’t work, won’t change a thing. Wouldn’t count on it.
3. Generally you rarely crack 100 hours a week, 80 is the norm. When you really have to work long hours we have some non-PC implied answers on the blog. Yerba Mate, Coffee, and lots of redbulls.
4. This is an easy one. Look at them dead in the eye and say money. These people don’t “get it” ie: they are not willing to put in the work. You only have to survive three years before it gets better. After you have three successful years in the industry you’ll know if you want to be an IB associate, go to PE or go to a HF. Don’t bother with people who say you “work too hard” all of these people either 1) couldnt get into the industry, 2) want to discourage you or 3) are insanely smart multi-millionaires who created their own companies. Unless they are part of 3, just ignore them. We mentioned many times before though, don’t bother telling people what you do for a living.
How do you avoid burnout?
For a PE modeling test, how do you make a LBO model/investment decision within 1.5 hours when given just a CIM? What are the steps, and how do you approach the problem?
Wow that is a loaded question that deserves a full post, we’ll add it to the list of post ideas. If you want the TL;DR version…
1. Most PE interviews ask you to build a model either 1) as a case study full blown or 2) as a quick one pager.
2. If there is nothing but an info memorandum the best answer is “what would this firm do” IE: every PE firm has a specific style of investment. Some PE firms really fish for gutter companies to buy on the cheap, others have great revenue contacts and others have amazing people to slot in to run the company. Think like they do when crafting your response
3. Always choose a conservative exit and entry valuation. No reason to exit at an outrageous multiple or seek out 90% return profiles, find some of their “extremely successful deals” cut that in half and that’s probably your run rate return. Clearly anything with a return profile of 10% is dead on arrival. 20%+ is a good assumption.
4. Is there an EXIT yes or no? This is probably the biggest mistake interviewers make, if the company cannot be sold easily at a later date or taken public a PE investor is going to be annoyed, you’re buying it to sell it later. No exit opportunity = no investment. (yes there are exceptions, EG extremely cash flow rich)
5. Since you’re given limited time you should tier your answer by what is important: 1) is this product legitimate and scalable? 2) can costs be taken out? 3) how can the PE firm you’re interviewing with change this company. As noted in the beginning this piece is an extremely loaded answer so it will be more specific to the firm you’re interviewing with.
Hope that builds the framework.
Really appreciate the time you guys put in this blog, lots of quality content with insider knowledge – thank you for that!
Just a short question: How would an internship at the World Bank (1 month) rank in terms of prestige or usefulness for BB investment banking (analyst position)?
Overall that would be a great internship for your Sophomore to Junior year. It is finance related but unfortunately government related.
If this is something you’re doing between junior and senior year you can spin this as interest in Public Finance Investment banking.
If this is an internship during the school year, would say that is a home run.
Yes, it actually was an internship during the school year – I’m 20 years old btw. Another thing I would like to ask concerns Sales & Trading as I am still unsure whether to lean more towards investment banking or more in that direction.
Is Sales & Trading still alive and recruiting? I know that might sound like a dumb question but on wallstreetoasis for example people often say that S&T is pretty much dead right now and will not exist in a few years time (think being replaced by computer systems and so on).
Asides from modelling, what are the differences between PE interviews compared to analyst IBD interviews? Lots have been written about investment banking interviews, not much for PE interviews. What’s the importance of networking for PE associate positions? What are some differentiators for PE candidates?
The difference for PE recruiting and IBD recruiting can be boiled down as follows:
1) What type of deal experience do you have (M&A specifically)
2) What were you ranked within your analyst Class, ideally you are top bucket
3) Yes networking matters, if you know the partners of the firm or get a recommendation from an MD at your investment bank, you’ll be 100x better off
4) Can you think like a PE investor? Many people miss this entirely, what is the return profile, what can the PE firm offer X firm they are thinking about buying, what is the strategy the PE firm employs
The above is the basics, overall by the time you are getting PE interviews the truth is you’ve already differentiated yourself. You were ranked or were not ranked at the top. You did or you did not close/work on M&A transactions. Your MD likes or does not like you and did or did not help you get interviews. You know for sure if you do or do not want to work in PE. You can build a one page LBO model or you can’t.
The is why less is written on the subject. If you’re ranked at the bottom of the analyst class and have never worked on an LBO or M&A transaction… you’re going to be in trouble to say the least.
Hey WSPBs, I’m an accounting major in my 3rd year and recently began to find out that I have more of an interest in finance. I sent my resume last week to a job posting on my schools website for an assistant to the VP of the wealth management division of a very large bank. Any last minute tips I can use that will show even though I’m not a finance?
The job description was short and said:
-Equity Research
-Economic Research
-Marketing
I appreciate you taking the time to give me any help and really enjoy your blog, keep up the great work!
Accounting is pretty easy to spin into finance. Without more information though it is impossible to give tailored advice.
Based on the job description you should have something finance related and market related on your resume if you want a leg up.
EX: Part of XYZ stock picking group at school, worked in financial advisory services, etc.
Simply take what the job entails and spin your resume to fit the needs. If you applied to wealth management the skillset is 1) knowledge of securities ie: how to pitch a stock, 2) ability to read and understand financial models, 3) interpersonal skills.
If you applied to IBD it would be a bit different because the skills are more transaction oriented.
Put yourself into the shoes of the interviewer and attack the issue in that fashion.
Hey guys,
I’m 22 right now, graduating with a Software Engineering degree, and I have a job set up for May that pays $90,000. I’ll be out of debt by 2015. I have two questions:
(1) I want to make a $500,000 by the time I’m 40. Obviously I’m not on the right career path right now. I’m considering trying to start my own company once I’m out of debt, or getting an MBA in a few years and trying to work my way up to a CIO. I have doubts about both of these options, and am definitely open to other suggestions. What would you recommend?
(2) At this point in my life I know nothing about investing, but I’ll need to learn to meet my goals. Where would be the best place to start?
Thanks for your time.
1) we don’t work in tech so we can’t help you there. As noted in our latest post we don’t give any I advice based on zero real life experience. That said, if you want to work on Wall Street, getting a top tier MBA and going into technology investment banking/ equity research / sales amd trading etc. would be doable in your shoes.
2) check our approved product page there are several books, one of which will address your question directly.
Any advice on what to do with your first bonus? It’s a stub based on the first half year of IB work, so nothing major, but given the options of putting the majority into my 401k, etc, what is usually the best move?
The rule of thumb is to always save your bonus.
Order of priorities 1) Debt, 2) max out company match.
If you want to simply go up to the match and keep the cash and invest it yourself that is fine. Spending the bonus on a new car/fancy clothes is generally a waste with a small stub bonus.
Have been an avid reader of your blog for almost a year now.
After numerous rejections, I have finally managed to secure an SA position.
I can’t thank you enough for your motivational posts and general guidance, which have got me through a tough couple of months.
Now time to concentrate on my general fitness and nutrition (another area you have inspired me).
Thank you.
Congrats! Stories like yours are why we created he blog in the first place!
Simply follow the interview/finance rules, get rejected a ton a and eventually you’ll land a slot. Get that full time offer and put the pedal to the metal. Your life is going to be hard for a few years but you’ll survive and live the life of twenty men before you hit 30.
It has only begun! Stay tuned for an important post coming up next week as well.
Have you guys gone through Belfort’s straight line persuasion course? Do you think it holds much merit? (largely stresses that tonality is king during sales etc.)
None of our writers went through his courses, so cannot comment. Do agree that tone is key in any type of sales role.
Great job on the blog.
What are your thoughts on picking up a hobby specifically for networking?
I’m a 22 year old entrepreneur and all of my ‘freindsz’ are going nowhere, I’m struggling to surround myself with successful people (I have an online mentor, but no one in real life).
It seems the few successful (older) real estate investors and day traders I do know all play golf frequently, I’m considering learning to play, at the same time though this will minimise time to be productive on the business itself.
That is a great idea for networking. Essentially half of networking is simply being in the right location.
Unsure what sector you’re trying to break into but find their hobbies and attempt to mimic their life in terms of interest.
Before you begin networking however, make sure you can have a baseline conversation on the topic. IE: if you’re trying to work on wall street you better know the difference between IBD/HFs/PE etc. and what skillsets are needed and why you’d be a great fit.
Great blog guys.
I wonder, coming from the best university from Chile, how hard is to get to Wall Street knowing no one? I don’t have any contacts of people working on the street, but should I pursue a CFA or MBA to get there?
Thanks!
We know a few international transfers and generally the answer is an MBA. The exception is if you work at a major bank (Citi, GS etc.) in those rare cases you may be able to obtain a transfer otherwise yes you should pursue an MBA. (also throw in the caveat of being a US citizen or not, if you’re not a citizen you need an even better resume and credentials)
One issue with your question is you didnt specify which segment within the street. But overall the best bet 90% of the time, in your situation will be an MBA.
Thanks for the tip!
The segment will be Asset Management. I heard that if you get the CFA and in your resume you demonstrate that you beat the market in X amount of years, maybe it would make a difference, but I think that the MBA is the way.
Thanks again.
That does make it tougher because yes a CFA will be better for an asset management position. Not sure if you’re in the work force yet but the idea would be this.
1) Land a job at the largest global bank possible near Chile. We assume the top university in Chile can land jobs at large banks such as Citigroup etc. Find a bank that has a substantial US presence.
2) If you can flip to the USA spin your experience to try and find a position in florida. Lots of Latin America/USA transactions and business flow through Florida and spanish is spoken regularly in the area (some slight leverage on your current skillset)
If that doesn’t pan out…
3) Apply to B-school if you can’t make the switch (best university possible of course and find ways to keep the cost down)
The CFA is simply up to you since it sounds like you will be going down the b-school route, if you have the bandwidth go for it, since we have mentioned several times on this site that the CFA is generally better for AM.
TL;DR
1) Ideal is luckily transfer to the USA and obtaining a CFA instead of the MBA
2) Back up and more likely situation is getting an MBA in the USA
Finally, go and find someone who has done what you hope to do, that will certainly be the best guidance
Thank you very much! I appreciate all your guidance.
Best.
Do you guys still do resume reviews / consulting, etc? Might be interested if so. Just finished my first half year of banking and I’m evaluating my options.
We are working on this solution. As it stands nothing formal. The issue of course is time commitment, if you have an idea/offer just send us an email.
Biggest problem right now is how to make a good service without sacraficing quality/a lot of time. Even 10 hours a week is a lot of time since our writers make a good living after several years on the Street.
I know that one of the main premises behind this blog is to always be improving, and I keep this as one of the top principles for my life.
One question I’d have for you is creating anxiety yourself with this belief of always improving. Unable to stay content/happy unless you are “doing” something – how do you handle this feeling? Maybe you don’t get the feeling, and it just goes away with building “improvement momentum”.
Not sure what you mean? If you know your actions are making you better how do you have unhappiness/feelings of discontent?
I mean in the time that I may be relaxing/not sure what to do next, there is a feeling of anxiety that I should be doing something.
Ah. This usually occurs when there is a large gap between who you want to become and who you are today.
The best solution is to work till exhaustion on multiple projects if you are young. This will force you to fall asleep immediately when your head hits the pillow. Working hard can include physical effort (gym), mental effort (reading/learning) and of course expanding your network.
Once you’re closer to who you always wanted to be you will lose the anxiety which in reality is insecurity.
Thank you – this makes a lot of sense.
Assuming you consider <25 young?
Yes
I’m a senior in high school. I don’t know how to put this any other way but: I’m socially awkward, which is extremely unattractive to girls. It sucks. I have about 4 months left until I’m done with high school, and 7 months until I leave for college. I don’t want to be like this in college and suck with girls and with befriending cool guys there. How can I best use the coming months to become more confident? The problem usually goes away if I get validation from the girl. I’m lucky that girls have told me I’m good looking, and there are a few girls don’t care that I’m awkward and just want to hook up with an attractive guy, so when I get validation off them, I stop being nervous and doubting myself and just assume everything will go well. When drinking I also become a lot more confident. How can I feel confident on my own, without needing the girls validation or alcohol to feel comfortable in my own skin?
Continue practicing, that is the only answer. If you have that much insecurity, go to a different town and talk to new girls there. No one is going to know who you are so you have nothing to lose.
You should never care about the opinion of a stranger. If a stranger thinks they are better than you it should be a trigger to start laughing hysterically. They just walked away from the time of their life. Their loss.
is there any justification for a man to marry even the girl he is with is a doctor/dentist or her family comes from a wealthy background?
No. That is an unjustified financial risk. If you are an IB analyst as your name says you are, the financial risk is enormous. If you get divorced (majority initiated by women) you have a higher income and you will begin paying 50% of that to her for nothing. Your income is going to rise rapidly if you perform on the job.
If the two of you are truly in love, ie: she loves you to death, she is not going to pester you for a house on her finger. You can live together in a state where common law marriage does not apply and you can honor your commitment and you can live together.
If she “needs” to have the contract she doesn’t love you.
It must be tough to know whether someone really does love you or not… you know, for who you are rather than your money. Do you think it’s “sad” to never marry in your entire life, or do you think it’s OK to be a single guy with a stockpile of cash and assets forever?
I wonder if the longing for a relationship is just a result of being brainwashed by society into thinking you need a partner. I’m sure the cavemen didn’t give two shits.
Not sad at all. If the girl loves you she doesn’t care about marriage. Why would you care about marriage? Pretty simple if you’re wealthy and she is trying to force you to marry her and sign a contract well… Isn’t that a dead giveaway that she wants you for your money?
If she wants a ceremony and no contract that’s somewhat fair, signing up to lose half your assets (90% of the time men lose in divorce court – esp if you make the most money) is just an emotional reaction.
How should associates position themselves to becoming a VP? Heard multiple times the associate to VP is the biggest and hardest leap. What should associates do to improve odds of being promoted to VP?
The next post is likely going to answer your question. The hardest jump is absolutely from associate to VP. After that it is all revenue generation/performance and you either got that skillet or you don’t.