<p>I've heard a lot about how i-banking and working on wall street in general, whether buy-side or sell-side, is a very demanding career path that puts a lot of pressure on you to work hard every day. I'm wondering, in terms of career progression, when I could reach the point in this field where I could actually consider starting a family. I'm interested in working in a very rigorous job early in my career, but at some point I would like to be able to have enough time to play with my kids or spend some time with my wife. I don't expect to work 9-5 and have plenty of time every day, and as a child of divorced parents I know it's possible for a dad to be a great dad even without necessarily being around all the time. I'm just wondering when in a finance career the hours begin to look less crazy, if ever. Any input is appreciated, although if you have a specific work experience that forms the basis for your response I'd like to know about that.</p>
<p>My father worked in banking, he was an MD in M&A in the 90s when I was growing up. Even though he had reached that position, he would still leave for work sometimes before I got up for school (around 7am) and would not get back until 8-10. He was around for the weekends though, and only left to go to the office on Saturdays for about 1-3 hours. About once a month he would fly out of the city to go check up on companies.
From what I’ve gathered (because I want to follow the same path), no matter how high your position, work almost always comes first. I’ve seen people change wedding dates and vacations because a deal needed to get done.</p>
<p>Most people aren’t in IB for the long term. The vast majority (80-90%) leave after 2-3 years. IB is just a stepping stone, and probably the best job you can have on your resume after college</p>