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.