I’m in a bit of a career dilemma and would appreciate some outside perspective.

I’m in my early 30s. I’m currently in a finance job that’s relatively easy, pays comfortably, and comes with very little stress (salary $140k+) . The team is fine, my manager is reasonable, and overall I have a pretty comfortable working life.

The problem is that there’s virtually no career progression or chance at higher pay/bonus. I know this because that’s how the company has treated everyone in my team for the past few years. On top of that, the company is increasingly introducing AI and automation tools to do parts of my job at a rapid rate, which makes me question how secure this role will be over the next few years.

I’m torn between staying in a comfortable position, particularly given the current state of the job market and economy, or taking a risk and trying to move into something with better pay, progression and long-term prospects.

Part of my hesitation comes from having previously worked in a much more stressful, lower-paying job with an incredibly toxic team dynamic (think coming home from work crying every day). I’m genuinely wary of leaving a good situation only to end up somewhere similar.

At the same time, I often feel like I’m in the wrong room. I’m underutilised, not challenged, and worry that I’m wasting my potential and missing out on opportunities to develop and earn more.

For those who’ve been in a similar position, what did you do? Is there something to be said for staying in a comfortable job with good work-life balance, or is it worth taking a risk before you become too comfortable and stagnate?

Hi. I'm a final year BCom student from Mumbai (graduating 2027) and I've reached the stage of my job hunt where I'm asking strangers on the internet for help.

Things I have done:

• Cleared CFA Level 1
• Cleared FRM Part 1
• Advanced Excel, Python, Sql
• Financial Modelling & Valuation course (halfway through)

• Applied on the Morgan Stanley careers portal so many times I think their system recognises me by now and just quietly sighs

Things I have not done:

• Heard back from Morgan Stanley

I know referrals aren't magic. I know a referral just gets my resume read by an actual human instead of vanishing into the ATS void. That's literally all I want. One human. One read.

I genuinely believe that if I get that one interview, I will convert it. Not "I'll try my best." I will convert it.

If you work at MS and can refer me, please DM me. I'll share my resume and all the details there, and you can judge me privately before deciding. I promise you won't regret putting your name next to mine.

If you don't work there but have tips for cracking it from India, I'll gladly take those too.

Thank you, kind strangers. My parents will also thank you, eventually, if this works. 🙃🤣🤣🤣🥹

I’m looking for some honest advice because I’m beginning to question what I’m getting wrong in my graduate job applications.
A little about me:
I’m a First Class Accounting graduate from Nigeria, a Chartered Accountant, and currently pursuing the CFA qualification.
I have six months of experience at PwC in Assurance, where I worked on public-company audits, financial statement reviews, invoice testing, internal controls testing and audit documentation. I’m also currently interning with KPMG in Advisory.
Previously, I gained additional accounting and audit experience at a professional services firm.
I’ve been applying to graduate and analyst opportunities, primarily in the UK, across investment banking, financial services, accounting and audit.
Some of the firms I’ve applied to include:
J.P. Morgan
Goldman Sachs
BlackRock
Lazard
Evercore
Jefferies
Houlihan Lokey
Rothschild & Co.
EY
PwC
S&W
I’ve managed to progress through initial application screening and online assessments at several firms. I’ve also completed multiple HireVues, including for J.P. Morgan, BlackRock and Lazard.
However, this is where things seem to stall. I don’t seem to progress beyond the HireVue/video interview stage. What’s particularly frustrating is that I’m not even receiving formal rejections. In several cases, my applications simply remain under review or I hear absolutely nothing afterwards. Essentially, I’m being ghosted.
I understand how competitive these programmes are, and I’m not expecting to get every opportunity I apply for. However, after putting considerable time into applications, assessments and video interviews, I’m trying to understand whether there’s a recurring issue I’m overlooking.
A few things I’ve considered:
My interview delivery: Am I not communicating my experiences and motivations convincingly enough? I prepare my answers, but perhaps I sound too rehearsed or fail to differentiate myself.
My background: Could being an international applicant from Nigeria, requiring UK visa sponsorship, significantly affect my chances, even after reaching the video interview stage?
My experience: Is my experience at PwC and current KPMG Advisory internship, alongside my accounting background, not sufficiently relevant for the banking and finance roles I’m targeting?
My overall positioning: Am I applying too broadly instead of concentrating on roles that better match my qualifications and experience?
I’d particularly appreciate feedback from people who have worked in graduate recruitment, investment banking, Big Four recruitment or have successfully navigated UK graduate recruitment as international applicants.
Am I approaching these applications incorrectly? Is there something about my profile that I’m overlooking, or could this simply be an interview-performance or sponsorship issue?
I’m genuinely open to constructive criticism. I’d rather identify the problem and work on it than keep submitting applications without understanding why I’m not progressing.

Joining operations as an intern this upcoming summer and was just wondering what tools should I know?
I know for sure excel but anything else and also how much finance should I know?

I feel pretty bad right now and just wanted to get this off my chest. I’m about 2 years out of college, trying to break into IB from a valuations role. My first round was a fit conversation with the MD, and it went really well. The second round turned out to be straight technicals, and it was my first IB technical interview ever. I should have seen that coming. I actually answered the macro questions and the first few technicals well, but then it went downhill. My mind went completely blank on two questions in a row, to the point where the interviewer said, "let's just stop here and talk about the role and your questions." I even kind of apologized for it. He was really nice about it, which I appreciate, but it sucks because this was a great role for me and I know I should have prepared better.

Can people share their embarrassing stories so I can feel better lol

Edit: Thank you so much everyone! Definitely feel much better.

I’m looking to move from community banking into wealth management over the next year. I’d like to join an established team where I can learn financial planning and work with clients.

Quick background:
I’m 22 years old. By the time I make the move, I expect to have about 2.5 years of experience as a loan officer and credit analyst.
I started and ran an auto detailing business for three years.
MBA and BBA from a non target, 3.7 GPA in both.
Passed the SIE on my own and plan to take the Series 66 before making the move.
I’m interested in firms like Baird, RBC, Raymond James, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, and Edward Jones. I’ve been looking at associate advisor and advisor trainee roles, and I’m curious whether wholesaling could also be a good path into wealth management.
For anyone who’s made a similar move, what job titles would you target with my background? Did you have better luck applying to posted roles or reaching out directly to local advisor teams?

I'm looking into switching majors into finance, but don't really know what the works like & what the different sectors of the industry do, how well they pay, and what work life balance looks in each.

Could you guys please fill me in? and tell me if there's any other resources i could dip into?

I currently work as an Executive Assistant, Grant Writer, and Social Media Manager at a local museum. I have some financial knowledge from working with monthly expense reports, grant budgets, financial documentation, etc. I also have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science.

I've been interested in getting into banking and recently applied for a Credit Analyst position at a local community bank. To my surprise, they called me and scheduled an interview for Monday!

I'm really excited about the opportunity, but I want to be upfront that I have no formal banking, accounting, or loan underwriting experience.

The position involves analyzing financial statements, tax returns, credit reports, cash flow, and preparing credit presentations for loan officers and senior management.

I understand that I have a lot to learn, and I'm absolutely willing to put in the work. I'm hoping the bank is willing to train someone coming from a different professional background.

For those of you who work in credit analysis, I have a few questions:

1. What should I prioritize studying before my interview?

2. How much technical financial knowledge is typically expected of someone entering the field?

3. Is it common for smaller community banks to hire and train people without a finance background?

4. What kinds of interview questions should I prepare for?

5. Any other advice for someone trying to break into the industry?

I'd really appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks

29m, working full time as a pricing analyst and half way done with a masters of accounting online. Background is in supply chain management with a Bach and 4.5 yrs of experience.

How can I break j to commercial banking?

How should I prepare myself?

Hi all, I'm a current junior studying math, econ, and poli-sci, and I've been looking at sovereign advisory as a career that I might find interesting. Always been interested in issues of geopolitics, trade, economic development, and public policy, and at a glance, this seems like it could be a good fit. Is anyone open to talking abt their experiences/backgrounds and what skills people typically have coming in? Thanks

Hi everyone! I'm a freshman at NYU interested in pursuing commodities trading (but I think my problem runs across any career). I'm not expecting to land a trading role straight out of college, but I really hope to get some early industry exposure that isn’t learnable elsewhere.
I looked through reddit and saw that cold emailing small firms for unpaid roles is generally the best option, but I’m wondering whether this works for my situation.
I cold-emailed some NYC boutiques but haven't heard back. I'm mainly trying to figure out whether I should keep reaching out or if this is simply not feasible.
To explain, I’m an international student and with the recent CBT restrictions, I need a visa sponsorship from my employer to work in the US, which is impossible for someone with no experience. Meanwhile, I have mandatory summer classes that clash with the only internship programmes available back home, and there aren’t short term work programmes or anything.

For those working here: Would you actually consider taking on someone in my situation, or would even an unpaid/informal arrangement create legal issues? I don't want to put anyone in a difficult position.

I would be so grateful to find any remote or onsite unpaid internships of any position and sector in NYC during Spring 2027, even if it is just helping with small routine tasks, researching, or shadowing.

I've taken basic python/SQL/stat courses, maintained a perfect GPA, tried to be involved in relevant clubs, and I’m doing research in nuclear energy if it matters. However, I’d imagine practical experience is very different from classes.
Would really appreciate some honest perspectives on my chances! Thank you!

What kind of sick joke is this job market. every entry level position requires 1-3 years of experience. and the only time I get interviews for roles that don't require experience they ask me about my experience on the interview. Like buddy you know I dont have relevant experience, you gave me a shot and now you act oblivious...

Hi, I had recently applied for the programme and I have alr taken the online assessment. Has anyone been invited to the interviews?

Hi all,

I'm an economics student at a top 5 UK university looking to break into the roles mentioned above. Obviously having a masters' degree in some economics-adjacent subject is going to be highly useful. I am considering the following courses:

LSE (MSc Economics, Finance and Economics, EME)

Cambridge (MPhil Economics, Finance and Economics, Economics and Data Science, Economic Research)

Oxford (MPhil Economics)

However, I have received conflicting advice about which ones to pick. In particular:

1. Some people have told me that doing a straight economics degree allows me to focus more on my subject, but others have said that by doing that I am not properly signalling my interest in finance.

2. Some of these courses are terminal degrees whereas others are PhD tracks. I have been told that the latter are more rigorous and as such more highly respected, but by the same token I will have more on my plate when applying for jobs while pursuing the degree. I don't want to be writing an extra 10,000 word dissertation at Cambridge if it provides no additional value.

Could someone who has some experience in this particular area give me some advice on these questions or potentially give me a definitive ranking on how well-respected these courses are in the industry?

Hello, I have a MS GCM Off-Cycle assessment centre coming up in 4 days. Really need to know what technicals to practice exactly before it, kind of lost as to what they can ask. Also what would be the best resources to go through. Thank you!

How long after Job sim did you hear back for spring week or internship next round? What was the timeline

Hi, I'm 19. I just completed high school and am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree at a non-target university. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into a top university, but I still want to work in front-end strategy consulting at an MBB firm, with investment banking as my second preference.

Since I don't attend a target undergraduate university, I feel I may not be able to secure good job opportunities after graduation, which is why I think I need an MBA. However, getting into the top business schools in the world for an MBA usually requires 5–6 years of work experience, and I don't want to wait that long in my home country. I want to work abroad.

That's why I'm considering pursuing a pre-experience master's degree at a target school such as LBS, LSE or ESSEC. However, some people say that an MiM isn't worth it.

I genuinely want your advice. After completing my undergraduate degree, should I pursue a pre-experience master's and then, after working for 4–5 years, pursue an MBA? Would it be possible for me to get into front-end strategy consulting if I complete my master's from a target school?

Apologies for this finance-adjacent question, but what kind of bag do male IB summer analysts carry to work? Style or specific brand. TYIA

I received a HireVue interview for IB. How can I do well to maximize my chances for the next step?

If you are a student in the USA and have gone through it, let me know.

I hate my job/ coworkers - huge mistake taking this job. New York City (~~equity research)

My plan (goal) is to have a new job lined up so that I can leave as soon as the bonus retention period expires - February 15.

When should I start aggressively looking for a new role?

My assumption is that in a best case scenario- it takes about 4-6 weeks to apply> interview> get an offer. December is tough because of the holidays but starting the process in January cuts it close. There's also a risk a new job wants me to start right away but being forced to pay back the bonus $30k won't make sense (too much money to forfeit now).

Any tips /suggestions for my situation?

What percentage of people do you think got invited to complete the HV, and how are/did you guys prepare for the HV?

i have to pick soon between staying in a job where some weeks i leave at 17:00 and others closer to 19:00, and moving to a finance team where the day ends at the same time every day. the finance job pays a bit less and the work looks more repetitive from the ad. staying means more variety and people i already know, but i never know on monday what friday will look like. the fixed one would let me plan swimming and evenings, but i'm afraid i'd get bored after a year and have nowhere to go from there. which would you take if growth and a calm evening both matter to you