WSO Weekly Wrap-up

December 06, 2025

Hey WSO Monkey,

Wondering if you can break into banking from a rough starting point? How messed up UK finance recruiting really is now? What life looks like between HF seats or on the strategy side instead of pure finance? This week’s posts hit all of that and more. Check out whatever feels relevant (or distracting).

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Formerly Homeless, Do I Still Have a Shot at Banking??? Please Give Advice! - "I have gathered my life up as best as I can. Got a GED, currently enrolled at NYU sps 3.8 GPA. The downside? I’m 25 years old female with one more semester remaining until graduation. I work FT to afford school and pay for school with my own money so it has taken me a long time to graduate. I just want honesty, is IB not in my cards? I really want to become an investment banker, even if it means going to grad school (have been looking to apply to Columbia MBA) . I am willing to do anything I can but I just feel like I’m so old and behind.."

  2. UK Finance Recruiting Isn’t What It Used to Be - "My experience is it’s harder to break in to London and the people who do tend to go through more hoops, but once in the seat, the group in London tends to outperform their peers materially relative to NY, in or out of our organization."

  3. In Between Jobs: HF Q&A - "8 years on the buyside across two firms: half a generalist at an event driven fund, more recently sector-focused fundamental long / short. Both are single managers."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Q&A: Strategy Manager Focused on Corporate & Growth Strategy - "7 years in Strategy Consulting at a Tier 2 firm. Cofounded small practice and scaled it from 3 to over 30 people globally. Varied experience across Corporate & Growth strategy, M&A (CDD), and cost optimisation. I am the lead for the graduates at my firm so I know exactly what to look for in CVs, interviews, case interviews etc."

  2. Nepotism/Wealth at Top Colleges List - "I do know of a lot of rich/nepo kids at duke northwestern and dartmouth so the list adds up. The reason I think that harvard and yale are lower is because they also accept a lot of kids from the poorest 20% as well as the upper 1%, which makes it difficult for middle class kids to get in and deflates their correlation number. This is different from the first 4-5 schools on that list as they accept a far lower % of poor students..."

  3. Best Business You’ve Seen! - "Recently been recruiting for a buyside role and I would say the most common question I have been receiving from their more Mid to Sr. level folk has been the question of “So give me an example of the best business you’ve ever seen.””

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • Internships to Director: Karolina’s Path Into Real Estate Investment & PE Careers

  • Army Veteran to Banking: Jonathan’s Powerful Story & Success Strategies

Hot Jobs 💼

Investment Banking, Private Equity, and Hedge Fund Professionals - "This is a remote, part-time role ($100-$150/hr; 20-40hr/week) where you'll apply your foundation in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling to create high-quality content used to train AI models. You’ll break down real-world finance scenarios, craft rigorous problem sets, and translate complex concepts into clear, structured reasoning across corporate finance, accounting, and investment analysis. Ideal for IB/PE/HF professionals with 1-5 years of experience looking for part-time work while contributing to AI development."

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

Private Equity Investment Associate ~ Advanced Industrials ~ San Francisco - "This role offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on exposure across the full private equity lifecycle, from deal sourcing and due diligence to portfolio value creation, working directly alongside senior investors and portfolio executives..." 

Senior Analyst - "This position offers exposure to the full lifecycle of commercial real estate investment, including acquisitions, financing and capital markets, leasing, asset management, and dispositions..."

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..."

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!




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