WSO Weekly Wrap-up

May 02, 2026

Hey WSO Monkey,

Hope your International Labor Day involved less actual labor than your typical Friday. This week the street is debating the future of tiger cubs and the actual quality of the current associate pool. Whether you’re realizing IB is "easier" than the buyside or just trying to fix a toxic office dynamic, grab a coffee and catch up.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Why Hire MBA Associates? - "You already know this, but seniors are the ones who actually make the bank money so they need to protect that pipeline. There simply aren't enough A2A's to fill the need especially if you consider they need to last long enough to also become a VP and Director first, whereas you get a larger batch of MBA associates each year to try and push through the meat grinder once the largest filter has passed. You can't lateral hire to fill the need either because the same under-supply applies at scale. But you are right than an A2A is a more efficient hire in a vacuum, I've seen teams cancel their MBA internship interviews because an analyst unexpectedly opted for an Associate seat..."

  2. Eminence Shutdown - Can SMs Compete? - "He’s had some awful calls and things that just haven’t worked. I think it’s the clearest it’s ever been that the age of the concentrated GARP tiger cub fund are over. I tell the associates at my firm all the time - at this point if you want to work in public markets L/S it needs to be at a multi manager otherwise at a single manager you’ll learn bad habits, be paid unfairly, and end up being pushed out 4-5 years later. This isn’t 2018. Wouldn’t shock me if some of these firms just stop hiring - there isn’t a need for a private equity associate to come in an do entry level research when the stakes just aren’t that high at some of these duration HFs."

  3. Polygraph by Polymarket - "News with skin in the game from the world’s largest prediction market. Each morning, get an email breaking down everything happening on Polymarket: the biggest shifts in odds, breaking news, new markets, whale moves, and much more. Join 1,428,136 readers who get their news on Polymarket."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. PE Back to IB - "IB is Arguably "Easier": Once you've done PE, IB from the outside in looks more understandable and you "get it" way better - you know what priorities actually matter, you come back with the "investor lens" (seems like a joke but it's legit) to understand businesses better, etc. you just have a better understanding of the investment life cycle in general and you're way more technical than your peers..."

  2. Q&A - Industry and Management Consulting (BIG4, MBB, TIER2) - "I have 15 years of professional experience across industry, leading strategy houses (MBB/Tier 2) and am currently a Partner at a Big 4 firm. Sector focus on oil and gas, industrials and manufacturing. I have been on the recruiting side, conducting real interviews from Associate through Manager level. Happy to take questions and share insights from the other side of the table on what actually moves the needle in interviews, how candidates are evaluated, sector-specific recruiting, transitioning into consulting from non-traditional backgrounds, and life inside the firms once you are in..."

  3. One Associate Hates Me - "Just ask the associate to grab coffee and ask how you can work together in a better way. See why he’s wanting so much lead time. Just talk to them."

  4. Deteriorating Associate Quality? - "The smartest people in my group are usually the ones who are prioritizing exits and don’t give a fuck about their current job. The dumbest people are the ones who stay, and they get top bucket because they don’t have to prep for interviews and their focus is 100% on the current job. Doesn’t help that our bank consistently pays below street and drives out all the people who know what they’re worth.”

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • From Pre-Med in Vietnam to Wall Street: How This Non-Target Student Broke Into IB

  • Before You Choose a Finance Career, Watch This

  • How I Broke Into GOLDMAN SACHS | Non-Target School

Hot Jobs 💼

2027 Hedge Fund Analyst (Full-Time) with a 2026 Summer Internship - "Your primary responsibility will be to research and analyze US public companies to help make investment decisions. We're looking for someone with a great deal of raw talent and intellectual curiosity, and a desire to learn what makes some companies great..."

Investment Associate, Partnership Fund for New York City - "The Partnership Fund for New York City (PFNYC) is hiring an Investment Associate with ~2 years of investment banking or equivalent financial experience who is looking to pivot into impact investing while continuing to do rigorous, institutional‑quality analysis..."

Associate Turnaround and Restructuring - "In this role, you will collaborate closely with professionals at all levels and across a wide range of industries. You will play an active role in diagnosing business challenges, conducting rigorous financial and operational analysis, building financial models, and delivering insights that support strategic decision-making..."

Senior Analyst, Private Equity Operations - "The Senior Analyst, Private Equity Operations leads the operational management of private deals, from approval and settlement through ongoing lifecycle events such as IPOs, restrictions, corporate actions, and liquidity events..."

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…"

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."

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!




* 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