WSO Weekly Wrap-up

November 08, 2025

Hey WSO Monkey,

An AMA with a PM, a poll on in-person vs virtual superdays, one take on wishing they’d done consulting instead of IB, chats on sane 9-to-5 finance paths, whether brokerage can beat the fund route, and a spicy take on “COVID kids” as analysts… a mixed bag! Check out these discussions when you have a minute.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Q&A - Portfolio Manager & 20+ Year Equity Research Analyst - "I am an experienced investment professional with over 20 years in global equity research and portfolio management. I spent more than a decade as a Portfolio Manager at a European quality-growth boutique, overseeing multi-billion-euro funds with a focus on Asian and Emerging Markets. My expertise spans portfolio construction, risk management, and sustainability integration in stock selection. I also served on the Investment, Sustainability, and Risk Committees, contributing to long-term strategic and governance decisions..."

  2. EB Recruiting Lead to Wso Students: Help Us Decide Preference Over In-Person vs Virtual Superdays - "I am a junior banker at one of the top tech elite boutique with under 100 people at the firm (think Qatalyst, Tidal, Allen, etc.) and I’m pitching in to help lead on the recruiting effort. This year we’re debating a shift from fully virtual Superdays to fully in-person Superdays. We’ve heard that in-person is becoming the industry norm and that students often prefer it. That said, if I were a student today and the process were the same format for everyone, I’d probably opt for virtual—you avoid missing classes, flying to another city for a single day (assuming that there’s only one superday), and the risk that the scheduled date overlaps with a non-movable exam..."

  3. I Wish I Did Consulting Instead of IB - "I've spent 2~ tough years in IB only to realize that PE and investing is like the last thing I want to do with my life/career. Friends in MBB and T2 consulting are exiting left and right to corporate and startups in pretty interesting functions, meanwhile I'm struggling to get an offer anywhere. Lol I was so focused on IB in school for no good reason beyond the fact that others wanted to do it. Most of my friends a year or two older hate the PE lifestyle and are trying to leave now too."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Best Entry 9-5 Jobs for Someone Interested in Finance? - "Great learning role, but not crazy hours. For some reason, a fund of funds role jumps out to me (or a specialist advisor to LP’s like in real estate, like Townsend Group). At the beginning of your career, you get to learn about different investment companies, their sectors, performance over time, big bets. And, you get to understand LP’s. I’m sure after a stint doing this, you’d be able to say you worked with some brand names. You might even want to stay (I enjoyed working with pension funds when they did direct investments with the company I worked for, they seemed like good people)."

  2. Is Brokerage Ever the Better Option? - "A shop that did not have a presence in debt brokerage approached me for a lead/senior role (but still effective being a broker). I ran numbers up and down, very attractive economics. But I cannot wrap my head around comes new year, you start with a blank page. You also need to staff/pay junior to some degree even when there is no business and that is more pressure every year. In the best year, I think I can make 5x what I make now but I will have to work for it. In a normal year, I probably make double so it is still great on paper. That said, no one owes you anything on the brokerage side so you will have to work for it. That compares to being a senior investment person at a debt fund, you can dial back a lot more. Unless you really fuck up and not doing your job, it is on autopilot. And you end up making more than most doctors/dentists make just by knowing how to open some excel/argus files and forwarding some emails, pretty good set up if you ask me (half joking, but have gotta admit, our skillsets and network are just so niche and limited that they are probably not that useful outside of our little world)."

  3. COVID Kids as Analysts - "Yes I think the effects of covid (or more accurately, the effects of heightened screen time) is the main cause of your gripes. It’s not just analysts that are affected by this… but they have been the most exposed given they’re the youngest. People these days just have much shorter attention spans and don’t spend as much time really reflecting and thinking. However, don’t lose sight of the fact that every cohort has issues and there are still gems out there. You just need to find them."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • Boston College to Strategic Advisory | Chat with Rohan Ramesh | WSO AcademyElon Musk: The Richest Person in History?

  • Colby to Associate in Consulting at BCG | Chat with Luis | WSO Academy

Hot Jobs 💼

WSO Mentor - "Are you an experienced professional with a background in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, S&T, venture capital, asset management, equity research, quant finance, corporate dev, real estate finance, or top-tier consulting? Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders? Wall Street Oasis (WSO) is expanding its Mentorship Program, and we're looking for outstanding professionals to join our mentor roster—an elite network supporting students and young professionals as they prepare for high-stakes careers. Whether you’re looking to give back, stay connected to rising talent, or sharpen your coaching skills, this role offers you the chance to make a meaningful impact, remotely and on your schedule..."

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

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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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