What degree's do employers prefer

TWI said:
I sh*t on everyone who wants to work at IB. W*nkers. Been there,done that, on to better things....
A slightly contradictory post, TWI. Did you sh*t on yourself while you were there, or only after you'd left? Presumably at some point you wanted to work at an IB, seeing as you've been there and done that - does that make you a w*nker? I don't think so. Not sure the guys I know working on IB prop desks qualify as mediocre... There are thousands of crummy little undercapitalised hedge funds set up by every Tom, Dick and Harry who've had a good run at an asset management firm or IB and are somewhat less impressive and earn rather less than the guy who headed up my old shop's prop desk. Sure a Pierre LaGrange or Ken Griffin are at the absolute top of the tree, but there aren't many of them and in my experience there were a growing number of duffers turning up in hedge funds as supply of talent has struggled to keep up with demand. As your experience would indicate, starting off in an IB isn't a bad way to go, even if greater rewards (in various senses) are then to be found elsewhere. You're right - once you're on the ladder where your degree came from is irrelevant - but you have to get started on the ladder, and it's important in grabbing that first rung.
 
Sorry JoC, was only kidding. I agree. There are some very smart people in the IB's who are far smarter and earn far more than I do. There are some fantastic jobs there which would be very difficult to do outside of that environment. I have many good friends who love working at the Banks and there are many times I wish I still had the flow available in a bank or commercial business. One thing I do not miss is the politics.

Yes, getting on the ladder seems to be something which is increasingly difficult, if the mails I have read here, over time, are to be believed and indeed, getting to interview can best be achieved by having the right criteria on your CV. Once you get in front of the interviewer, then it is about the individual and once you make a good PnL nobody gives a toss where you came from apart from those who are trying to climb over you an on up the pyramid.

Incidentally I often sh*t on myself and I am on occasion a total w*nker, as my previous post demonstrates, it is certainly not the exclusive domain of those slaving their guts out in the IB's.
 
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