Post #1:
A few weeks ago, I attended another Backpack 2 Briefcase event and was once again informed about my career beyond Villanova as well as what to strive for while I’m here. The event that I attended was a panel of Villanova alumni that have become investment bankers at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. They spoke about their lifestyle, individual companies, and relationship with Villanova. I thought it was interesting to hear about their different jobs, but I left questioning whether that was a good career path for me to follow.
All four of the panelists had very similar things to say about the lifestyle of investment bankers, and their inputs discouraged me from wanting to go into that field. They all stated that their days started around eight or eight-thirty am and from that time on was a nonstop whirlwind of work and managing time and stress. One panelist explained that you could be managing up to seven clients at once, and that you were always expected to provide valuable assistance to every one of them. Another panelist explained that the office was essentially your home, and that most days you could expect to be leaving as late as midnight or even two in the morning. In the link below, there is an article that I found later while researching investment bankers that further explains the demanding nature and tough hours of this job. In some ways I think this exploitation and information about this career path was helpful because they clearly made the point that you needed endurance and dedication to even begin pursuing a career in this field, but I almost think it would’ve been more helpful to hear this as an upperclassman.
As a freshman, almost immediately after hearing the panel speak about their long hours and tiring profession, I decided that this was not a career that I had any interest in. I think this is bad – I want to keep an open mind about my career and what I can do with my education, so I wish I had avoided this panel until I was a junior or senior when I could truly decide if the actual job was something I was interested in, not just the hours and lifestyle. I think that Villanova should really look at what these panelists are going to say and decide whether it is a good idea to allow underclassmen to attend. I’m curious if anyone feels the same way, I’m not intending to discourage the attendance of these events, but I also think keeping an open mind as a freshmen or sophomore is very important. I am also wondering what other people think about the long hours of these jobs, do people feel like the stress and time commitment is worth the reward?
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/investment-banking-hours-what-to-expect
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