WSO Weekly Wrap-up

May 10, 2025

Hey WSO Monkey,

We’re excited to kick off the new WSO Academy Speaker Series on Tuesday, May 13th, with our first guest: Scott L. Bok, longtime CEO and current Chairman of Greenhill & Co.

What is it?
Each month, we’ll bring in some of the most influential names in high finance—exclusively for Academy students. These intimate, one-hour Zoom sessions offer a rare chance to hear career stories, market insights, and recruiting advice directly from industry veterans.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Q&A: Big 4 Corporate Finance Manager in London - "Started off in audit where I qualified as a ACA, eventually moving into corporate finance. Currently been a manager for around a year. Happy to answer questions or be of help."

  2. For Those Who Exited PE, Any Regrets? - "The people are innovatively toxic and the more people I meet in the field, the more people tell me how toxic they are. The hours are insane and the money is only good if the pot bellied gods decide you’re worthy. Or their offspring. I keep a resignation email teed up in my draft folder so that way it’s really easy for me to do something impulsive if I get fired up. Sometimes, I hope IT spies read it and report it. I can’t tell if I hate the people, the work, finance in general or all of the above. Maybe I hate myself..."

  3. Q&A: Long Only Equity Analyst in London - "Brief background: Bachelor in Finance at no name university in Europe. Cumulated 1.5y in internships in both sell-side and buy-side. Passed all CFA exams as a student. Did sell-side equity research in London for 2.5y. Made the move to buy-side long-only a little under 4y ago. Currently working at a global fund with ESG/sustainable angle as a generalist."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. How Do You Know if You’re a “Hardo”? - "As a matter of fact, don't recruiters complain that "they are too bored to see the same finance students with all finance clubs and interest" and they just skip those and look for something more "unique"? So "let's go with a biology student because I am bored of seeing the same LSE student profile" or "hey Jennie, this looks like a strong candidate for this IB M&A role, what's your view? Jennie: Hmm, finance extracurriculars, modeling bootcamp, investment society, heavy finance curriculum - nah, we need someone else for a finance role, let's call this English literature grad, he screams potential" lmao God forbid someone shows too much interest in finance, because that's a red flag according to HR..."

  2. Research Associate Job Will Largely Disappear in 5 Yrs - "I don't think we're quite to the point of replacement but I agree with OP (was very surprised to see who it was who was posting this, Sequoia is usually pretty balanced I think?), the speed at which firms are adopting AI (which btw is still neutered compared to non-regulatory-hindered versions) and what this stuff can already do has taken me by surprise. I thought we were like a couple years out from where we are rn (in terms of getting these capabilities at a bank). I thought regulation would really slow things down, and it has a bit but less than I thought. This stuff, in it's current neutered form, is still giving me significant time savings on certain (albeit fairly small) tasks. And it's only maybe 25% as good as base level chat GPT. Like come on. The job is about to get harder (because the only thing associates are good for is going to be the very difficult stuff) and at the same time, more competitive. And you can bet damn sure the firms aren't passing any cost savings to your bonuses..."

  3. Private Equity’s Best Days Are Over - "The industry’s best days are behind it. So what? I’m at a PE firm and I love it. 99% of the people here haven’t heard of it and yet we are positioned to double AUM in the years ahead. I make great money, I work with great people, and I do work that interests me. I consider myself a smart investor, but I’d probably not do as well in a hedge fund so I’m pleased with where I’m at and don’t need to chase that career path. People need to gain some perspective. Life is good and I really don’t care about how things where done in the 80s/90s/00s."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • CS to Quant Investment Analyst | Chat with Malhar Padir

  • Insper Engineer to Investment Banking at Igc in Brazil | Chat with Alex Wever

Hot Jobs 💼

Full-time Investment Associate - "A Silicon Valley based long/short equity hedge fund specializing in artificial intelligence (AI). It exclusively invests in AI and AI-related public technology companies..."

Senior Technology Equity Analyst - "This role is ideal for a driven professional with expertise in the technology industry, specifically AI and Crypto. We are seeking someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and is eager to contribute beyond a single role or task..."

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
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*** IB Interview Bootcamp includes lifetime access to the IB Interview Course