WSO Weekly Wrap-up

January 12, 2025

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Hey WSO Monkey,

Hope you're managing to squeeze in some downtime this weekend. Whether you're deep in deal mode or catching a rare break, here are the latest forum updates to keep you in the loop. Dive in when you can!

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. How Soon Will AI F**K Our Industry? - "Headcount won't be materially impacted any time soon. It will be like 30-40 years at a minimum. AGI isn't anywhere near the horizon. LLMs all have the same fundamental problem (insofar as it means "fucking" the IB/PE/VC/etc industry): they are nowhere near capable of being able to handle open-ended tasks with multiple potentially valid answers based on "bespoke" knowledge that the typical analyst/associate has to do. Technical competence is much harder to learn than merely being able to anticipate the correct word in general English. There is a reason why AI providers in technical fields such as the law understand that the hardest part of getting a useful "ChatGPT-style AI" for their fields isn't things like hallucinations or the lack of data but how the AI is able to interpret the data..."

  2. Cringe-Worthy Networking Mistakes I’ve Seen in IB - "I will always respond to school alum with a good cover note and then ask for your resume right away either way. If you are borderline and don't have the resume I'm not going to work for it. Any banker pearl clutching about the resume attached up front being too presumptuous is likely very insecure and probably not great to work for. Of course its transactional, I can do 1000 calls and never gain an iota from them, help the kids out for Pete's sake."

  3. Is Our Career That Really Much Better Than Being a Doctor? - "Finance isn't the only place you can find good, high-paying jobs. There is a reason why law and medicine (and more recently finance) have been seen for generations as paths to push your kids down. This is a finance forum. Obviously, there is going to be a skew in favor of finance."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Fired as a 1st Year - "Got fired, didn’t do anything serious, Was more of a took a sick day when I was not sick kind of thing. Anyways, I got fired, but for some reason I’m doing so much better mentally? I've been able to sleep, visit family, enjoy my free time, not be stressed or anxious all the time. I’m looking for other jobs of course but it feels good to relax for a little..."

  2. You Do Not Make Real Money in Finance, in My View - "If you want a better shot at being private-jet, yacht, etc. level of rich, yes, found a company, assuming you have the requisite skills to make a product, hire a team, fundraise, and all that. But if you want the strongest odds of being able to afford a nice house, nice car, private school for your kids, etc. without needing to possess any super rare talent or advanced coding/engineering skills, and you specifically want to avoid spending years of your life working on something that goes to zero, PE (and finance in general) is a much safer bet. Risk-adjusted returns are important!"

WSO Alpha: Latest Updates 📈

We uploaded the December brokerage report for those of you curious how we did.

Hot Jobs 💼

Senior Associate / Vice President - "We are seeking a Senior Associate / VP level professional who is actively engaged in the lower middle market with a proven track record of executing direct deals. The ideal candidate could come from a private equity firm, family office, investment bank, or independent sponsor..."

Project Finance Associate - "This is a career-level role, and we expect the Project Finance Associate to grow and find new ways to impact our organization, contributing to Zanskar’s broader financial and capital allocation strategy..."

Investment Banking Analyst - “A boutique IB practice focused on MM M&A. Lean, mean, entrepreneurial team of highly motivated deal makers who all ‘punch above our weight’. While other investment banks have large teams working around the clock, we work smart in small teams, and achieve outstanding results for our clients and still get home in time to see our families. Industry generalists…“

Investment Analyst - "...invests in privately held companies across media and entertainment, including film and television, digital media, creator economy, video games, live experiences, sports, and related services and enabling technologies ..."

Director of M&A - "...formed to be the best long-term home for independent companies that provide unique data, content or information focused on small but important niches and are owned and operated by founders."

Sr Discretionary Researcher / Trader - Fully Remote - "We are a discretionary, event-driven proprietary trading firm and hedge fund specialized in the digital asset space."

Marketing Manager - West Coast, US - "The Firm is an early-stage venture capital firm with $300mn in assets under management and a deep commitment to supporting the next generation of groundbreaking technology..."

Research Associate (Equity Small Mid Cap) - New York, NY - "This position will support the Small/Mid-Cap Equity research team and initially be responsible for covering multiple sectors in support of current team members."

On Deck - Training 🎓

All in Eastern Standard Time

Stay Strong,
Patrick Curtis
CEO and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

WSO Mobile App: iOS | Android

PS - We're also always looking to add resume reviewers and WSO Mentors to our team. Set your own pay (from $40/hr to up to $400/hr) to increase or decrease mentee flow. To submit an application, go here.

PPS - Think you have an interesting story? Want to share it with our podcast listeners? Hit reply and let me know!




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