WSO Weekly Wrap-up

January 31, 2026

Hey WSO Monkey,

Hope you’re hanging in there. This week’s top threads are a mix of career second-guessing and practical problem-solving… people comparing paths across seats/geographies, figuring out how to handle awkward recruiting situations, and debating whether the “prestige” chase is still worth the costs. Check out whatever feels useful (or entertaining enough).

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. L/S SM Analyst Q&A - "I enjoy the day-to-day work of SM much more than what MM entails. I get why people make the jump, but there’s very limited benefit that MM can offer me that SM can’t and there’s a whole lot I’d be giving up."

  2. Why So Many Brits Are Throwing Away Their IB Careers - "Idk man to each their own. As some people have mentioned the culture is just different over there and people have different mindsets around careers and life overall. As an American, I've recently been contemplating the opposite, maybe taking a pay cut for a few years to work in London & live in Europe. Think about it, you could pay 75 euro's and fly to Mallorca or Sorrento for the weekend. Kind of beats watching a homeless person sh*t on the street while you walk to a bar where beers are $12 and cocktails are $25.... just sayin."

  3. We overhauled our Forward Curve to be the most powerful, interactive tool in the industry - “Fully interactive, instantly downloadable, and packed with the live data you need. It’s the coolest forward curve in the biz—toggle indices, overlay historicals, and export data in seconds. Check it out for free.”

What do credit cards, rewards, gamification, and personal finance have in common? One high profile startup: Coverd.

This a16z backed startup might actually be able to say “we don't have any direct competitors”.

Coverd is a category defining product led by former Wall Street traders Albert Wang and Eric Xu (Morgan Stanley & Hudson River Trading).

The app allows users to track all of their spending in one place and win back their credit card purchases via both skill and chance based mini games.

Soon, Coverd will launch the first ever credit card to offer up to 100% cashback (zero fees) on every purchase. Card users will be able to interact with every element of the app using their points.

Not to mention they host free, contest style giveaways on top of it all, and currently have $10,000 Super Bowl LX tickets listed. Free.

Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Manage a Difficult Reference - "Was previously at a fund where I had struggled, and was pushed out after my associate stint to business school. Recently interviewed for a VP/SA role, and was told off the record that I would have gotten the offer but the backchannel check from my prior fund was not great. I definitely have 1-2 people at that fund that would go to bat for me, but also a few that probably wouldn't say great things. Any advice on how to manage this?"

  2. Prestige of Finance Went Down Hard? - "Such is the result of the current market. Everyone wants to maximize their income because there's no way you can afford a house and kids on a normal income, and social media has turbocharged the ideal lifestyle of being rich and having a yacht and shit. People want the high life. Only a few industries can give that: Consulting, law, tech, medicine, and finance. If you're not really smart, law, tech, and medicine are a tough sell. You can make it in consulting or finance just based on hard work and not being insufferable. So ofc you get a lot of people desperate to break in..."

  3. When to Give Up / Start Casing? - "Stuff would just randomly pop up for 2-3 days and you had to see it in time. I think it from kids reneging or the bank realizes they can take 5 more spots so they run a small process. Each day I would doom scroll LinkedinJobs and Handshake between classes seeing if there was anything decent. I saw RJ, Citi, Santander, Goldman, BofA, Houlihan Lokey, Baird applications but you had to catch them in time. Once I applied I’d send emails to everyone I previously networked with at the bank which were all alumni (non/ HYPW target) - didn’t get a single response from anyone outside my school’s alumni network. Most of the people found my situation pretty inspiring (don’t complain - just come off as hungry) so they gave me referrals to HR. Within a week I’d get R1s and I was so dialed bc I had been religious grinding technicals, had a lmm ib stint over the summer, and a 4.0 from the previous semester - I started getting offers at banks that rejected me in early 2025 for SA26."

  4. Wells Fargo IB vs UBS - "Not at either firm but could speak from my own experience and 20+ years on Wall Street. Wells is the better platform than UBS across any career level given its stronger U.S. franchise, a cleaner identity with clients, and more reliable internal mobility and long-term outcomes. For analysts, the whole “UBS for exits, Wells if you want to be a lifer” line is backwards. If you want exits, you want a brand that consistently reads as U.S. banking plus balance sheet power plus credibility with corporates. Wells gives you reps in products that matter, real client relationships, and a pipeline that doesn’t depend on some “legacy halo” arguments from 20 years ago. UBS in the U.S. is still, to most people, a Swiss wealth manager with an IBD wrapper, and pretending that some old “LinkedIn alumni density” is a substitute for being in a stronger seat today is cope..."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • Breaking Into Investment Banking From a Non-Target

  • Mentorship, Banking & Big Deals | A Real Career Story

Hot Jobs 💼

Remote Project for Investment Banking / Private Equity Professionals ($175/hr) - “Handshake is recruiting Investment Banking and Private Equity experts to contribute to an AI research project with leading AI labs. Participation is flexible and fully remote.”

Investment Banking, Private Equity, and Hedge Fund Professionals - “AfterQuery Experts is hiring IB/PE/HF professionals with 1-5 years of experience for remote, part-time roles ($100-$150/hr; 20-40hr/week). You’ll apply your foundation in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling to create high-quality content used to train AI models.”

Investment Banking Vice President - "This involves reviewing AI outputs for correctness, methodological rigour, and commercial relevance—then building evaluation criteria and model answers that reflect how things are actually done at top-tier banks.."

Finance Expert - "Mercor is recruiting U.S./UK/Canada/Europe/Singapore/Dubai/Australia-based Investment Banking or Private Equity Experts for a research project with a leading foundational model AI lab."

Private Equity Expert - "Mercor is recruiting U.S./UK/Canada/Europe/Australia-based Private Equity Experts for a research project with a leading foundational model AI lab."

Insights Senior Manager/Principal, Private Equity - "The Insights Private Equity group at Dialectica plays a key role in driving growth and scaling an emerging business unit within the company..."

Pre-MBA Private Equity Associate - "We are seeking a Pre-MBA Private Equity Associate to join our team for a Summer 2027 start..."

Financial Modeling Expert - "In this highly visible role, you will deploy your deep expertise in financial modeling, valuation, and deal structuring to support major investment decisions across diverse sectors..."

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..."

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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