WSO Weekly Wrap-up

August 16, 2025



Hey WSO Monkey,

This week’s mix is all over the map. From debates on whether AI will reshape the industry to stories from folks who skipped “prestige” finance but are still doing just fine. New perspectives…worth a read.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Future of the Industry - "AI is a bit overblown, and the main reason behind this is costs. People oftentimes think that costs of Ai scale linearly, so it's very easy to replace juniors and have the costs be comparative. This is not true. LLMs operate on transformer technology, which means it can basically take in a whole sentence and connect it to other parts of the sentence. So, say for example you type in "The black cat is playing in the tree. It is happy" or something. Well, older Neural Networks couldn't actually connect the first part to the second. It would have difficulty connecting "Black cat" to "tree" to "It" as in it would think these are very different things. This, of course, causes issues. Transformers were able to provide "attention" tokens to each of these elements, so basically the transformer could connect the cat, the tree, and the it being the cat, with the black cat being happy..."

  2. Didn’t Break Into “Prestige” Finance? You Can Still Make Bank - "The 2–4 hours I mentioned is just the amount of actual hands-on work I’m doing right now because onboarding here is super chill and the workflow is very manageable. tl-dr still getting exposure, just at a much more chill pace. I’m also not under any illusion about the grunt work in IB/PE. I had a PE internship in college, and the hours were brutal. It’s honestly a blur, but I still learned a lot from it and understand exactly what that life entails. Long-term, my plan is to build experience here, then use an MBA in ~5 years to lateral into something more prestigious..."

  3. Where Do I Start? - “If you are an investment banking analyst or associate looking to transition to private equity, you might be thinking: where do I start? FactSet’s eBook “How to Make the Leap from Investment Banking to Private Equity” provides a clear path to developing the knowledge, skills, and mindset that highly competitive, top firms demand. Get your free copy now.”

Ask the Questions That Build Careers: WSO Academy Office Hours

Forget office hours with professors who’ve never worked a day in the real world. With WSO Academy, you’ll be invited to 6 Office Hours every week where you can ask anything—live—with real finance pros who’ve climbed the ladder.

These aren’t theory-driven lectures. This is actionable, insider advice from the people who’ve done it. And whe we say you can ask anything—we mean anything.

⏰ Flexible Sessions for Every Time Zone
With 6 sessions a week, from bright & early to late at night, you’ll always find a time that works—no matter where you’re located.

💬 Open Q&A, No Limits
From cracking technicals to navigating tough interview questions, you’ll get real answers from real professionals. Plus, our CEO, Patrick Curtis, also regularly hosts Office Hours, offering firsthand insights into breaking into and thriving in high finance.

🌟 Learn From Leaders, Live
This isn’t a classroom. It’s a unique opportunity to pick the brains of people who’ve been where you are and know what it takes to succeed.

Stop counting on clips from The Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Short to learn about the real world of investing. Come see it firsthand with WSO Academy.

Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. 2025 SA Return Offer Rates - "Curious to see the breakdown by bank, location, group."

  2. Please Leave - "I am very grateful to have been born in the U.S., and love Kentucky in particular with all my heart, but when I initially moved for a sabbatical between my last job pre-MBA before going to my MBA, I quickly realized that I did not want to continue living in the U.S. full-time. I recommend anyone who can make ~$80k (I will candidly say I make much more than this, but believe that $80k gives you a near luxury lifestyle in most countries outside the U.S., Canada, and some parts of Europe) or more online consider seeing what's out there. The U.S. is a great place, but I fear that if the cost of living crisis and culture wars continue, the country might become a shell of its former self."

  3. Christians in IB How Do You Do It? - "Maybe the most important - your words and actions day to day are your witness. My words don’t always line up with who I believe God has called me to be so I’m constantly praying for patience and reminders to speak differently than the people around me. Again this isn’t being preachy but sanctification is becoming more like Christ in word and deed. So when there’s a situation where everyone else would act or speak in a way that isn’t the most God-glorifying (getting mad, gossiping, etc), that’s an opportunity to model Christ’s love."

  4. Agency/Gse Jobs Outlook- Bank vs Non Bank - "Agree that management at non banks understand the agency lending business. That's their bread and butter. For banks, Agency lending is just one of the businesses (it's very profitable so banks love them) but that being said when you have a bank that is also a top Agency lender (a bank that is always in the top 10 rankings so not Truist, Regions, PNC, etc) will have leadership that wants to maintain its top 10 GSE lender/top bank Agency lender status at all costs. The leadership also gets bonuses, recognition, etc based on how well it's Agency business is doing..."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • University of Chicago to JPMorgan

  • University of Sydney to CLSA

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..."

Equity Research Analyst - "Buy-side research analyst opportunity with a family office. The analyst will work with the direct investment team and report to the Portfolio Manager. The team employs a fundamentally driven investment process and an owner’s mentality...."

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!




* PE Interview Bootcamp includes lifetime access to the PE Interview Course
** FMV Bootcamp includes lifetime access to the Elite Modeling Package
*** IB Interview Bootcamp includes lifetime access to the IB Interview Course