WSO Weekly Wrap-up

November 29, 2025

Hey WSO Monkey,

Hope you managed to squeeze in a bit of rest over Thanksgiving. As usual, the forum was buzzing with all kinds of stories. Check them out when you want to mentally clock out for a second.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. A Dramatized Look Into Continuation Vehicles - "Everything that follows is my own observation from working in the industry, specifically in IB coverage, relative to the so-called “Secondaries Advisory” groups. This is, primarily, a critique of continuation vehicles (CVs) as transactions, and of the groups around them, which I believe are laughably overstaffed. So: partially informational, but biased in a way that casts these transactions in a very negative light..."

  2. Q&A: Return to PE After Corporate Stint - "Semi-target school, started my career in MBB. Then joined an UMM PE, got terribly burned out and decided to quit for a corporate strategy role. Then after a few years I realized I was just not learning and growing as much as when I was in PE and I also really missed the broader picture view in PE. I also developed interests in philanthropy which my corporate strategy job will never afford me to do in a scalable way. Then I got back to PE, started as a senior asc again, felt I somehow dealt with the stress much better, and also got promoted..."

  3. Turned Down Biotech EB Offer. Now I Work at Chipotle and Live in My Car - "Right now I'm studying after work and applying to jobs. I've applied to ~200 off-cycle analyst roles, research assistant gigs, and even back office roles in biotech or just finance/accounting. Haven't heard back from anything. I'm working at Chipotle to save up to move into an apartment. I'm living in my car. I bought it with the summer analyst money. Gonna keep trying to hustle and network and make it happen, but I should've taken the return offer. Definitely don't do what I did. Don't try to be a hero if you're not actually smart. IB is a great bargain."

When markets move, speed wins. 9fin helps you move faster.

9fin delivers the speed, depth and efficiency you need to stay ahead.

Here’s how 9fin helps you move first:

  • Fastest alerts. Get real-time intelligence 30–60 minutes before traditional sources across leveraged finance, distressed debt, private credit, and CLOs.

  • Complete coverage. Bonds, loans, public and private credit — unified in one platform. Gain visibility in opaque markets where others go dark.

  • AI-powered tools. Built by debt experts, for debt experts. Turn days of research into minutes, with every data point traceable to source.

Real-time updates, editorial insight, and AI all connected — so your workflow just works.

Thousands of credit professionals trust 9fin to move faster, act smarter, and win with confidence.

Ready to experience the intelligence advantage for yourself? Get a demo now.

Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. FT Recruiting Hopecore - "I'm currently a senior, strong GPA, ~target public university, strong resume, full technical understanding, and a great background in public speaking. Meaning I present well on paper and in-person. Also, there's no inherent flaw going into an interview/process. Yet I'm 1/~900 on job applications, so don't feel bad if you're struggling too. There's so much luck involved, eventually the dice will roll your way..."

  2. Non-Traditional Path to RX: 31 Yo, Military Background, Ran Distressed Business - "You have a great story, but the reality is that these large shops have tons of competitive applicants, so the likelihood of you getting a seat of your choice is unlikely no matter how hard you network or prep for interviews, etc. If I were you, I'd focus on the smaller boutiques.. tons of those places around that you can use to get your foot in the door and then either impress someone to lateral or do an MBA to lateral into your desired seat."

  3. How Has Your Team Actually Been Using AI (ChatGPT/Copilot?) in IB? What’s Been Game-Changing? - "Email drafting, Excel cleanup, going through filings, and putting together comps are already being streamlined by tools like Grok and new features firms like BamSEC are testing. Banks and funds are also piloting tech like Anthropic Enterprise that can build models with minimal human input—their demo was pretty impressive, delivering DCF and LBO models within seconds of prompting that are 80-90% ready and just needs minimal finishing touch from a real person, which all models need anyway. OpenAI’s pushing similar ideas with Project Mercury. Decks and audits will likely follow as teams test AI tools for presentations and financial reviews. So the junior workload is getting lighter—but does that mean more deals per analyst, or just fewer jobs? And once autonomous agents show up, what happens to mid-level roles like VP/Director?"

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • Boston College to Strategic Advisory | Chat with Rohan Ramesh | WSO Academy

  • Colby to Associate in Consulting at BCG | Chat with Luis | WSO Academy

Hot Jobs 💼

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!




* 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