<p>good luck with that.</p>
<p>I'm feeling pretty lucky.</p>
<p>Stephen</a> Spruiell on Hedge-fund Politics on National Review Online</p>
<p>What's wrong with Investment Banking? I've read American Psycho.</p>
<p>^lol The main fictional character was working for his father's company; therefore, he was able to slack off more than others in the firms.</p>
<p>Investment banking gives company access to vast sources of capital to be able to develop and mass produce products and services that makes our lives better. One of the main reason the Middle East's quality of life has fallen a great deal relative to the West over the past few centuries is there lack of development of investment banks. Most of their companies are small, family run enterprises, which simply don't have the scale and capabilities to increase quality of life like Western companies.</p>
<p>Thats one reason. Investment banking is a great learning experience.</p>
<p>Whats bad? Ages 21-24 will be fairly depressing in terms of achieving personal goals.</p>
<p>the_prestige and I already commented on some of the benefits -- look at some of the public companies that service you -- that you, the consumer, receive as a result of investment banks' profit-seeking.</p>
<p>Noone in investment banking is there to serve society. And that is not a bad thing.</p>
<p>Pursue it to make good money, develop a good skillset, and have good exit opportunities.</p>
<p>If you want to serve society, go teach to 5th grade social studies.</p>
<p>"good skillset" such as running Excel spreadsheets with mythical 9% compounded growth rates, screaming at the next lower ranked person, and walking away from the carnage.</p>
<p>Top business schools, top PE shops, corporate development in Fortune 500 companies, and event-driven and L/S equity funds do not seem to mind. </p>
<p>So yes "good skillset"</p>
<p>Another quick question. Ive talked to a friend who works at M&A at GS and just recently got married. According to him, he rarely talks to his wife, parents, or old friends. Is Ibanking really that lifestyle-extreme as opposed to, say, management consulting or medical residency?</p>
<p>I-banking is lifestyle-extreme and management consulting is right up there, too, because of the travel involved.Same with Wall St. law firms. You get in when you don't have a family, start on the ladder, add on a spouse and kids but now you're used to the income and its too late. Its just hard if you have a family and some just don't make it. It takes its toll.</p>
<p>cigarette smoking : lungs :: i-banking : soul</p>
<p>haha. nice.</p>
<p>that'd make an awesome SAT question back in the day.</p>
<p>parasites...</p>