I’m a junior trying to figure out which path makes sense, and honestly, the more people I talk to, the more confused I get. Everyone romanticizes their own choice and throws shade at the others. I need to hear some unfiltered reality.
I know IB builds technical chops and has exit optionality, but the hours sound brutal. Consulting seems like better lifestyle and more travel (though some people say that’s not glamorous, it’s just exhausting). Product is this whole different beast—less hierarchical, but you need to actually know how to code or be product-minded, which I’m not sure I am yet.
What I really want to know is: what does a typical day look like in each? What does the promotion path actually look like? And crucially, what’s the exit landscape from each? I’d rather make an informed choice now than spend three years in the wrong place.
ib is brutal hours and pure financial skill building. consulting is better hours, more travel, less technical depth. product is chilled hours but you need a vision and way more autonomy expected. pick ib if you want to make money and have options. pick consulting if you want prestige and balance. product if you actually care about building something. most people pick wrong because they listen to recruiting pitches instead of asking alumni what they really do.
consulting sounds cool but ive heard the travel gets old fast? idk tho im still trying to figure it out too honestly
product seems less stressful but harder to break into if u dont have tech experience already…
Whatever you choose, you’ll learn so much! Each path has real advantages. Trust your gut and pick what excites you most!
I started in banking, hated the hours after two years, and moved to consulting. The hours were better, but I realized I missed the technical depth of banking work. What surprised me was that people in consulting seemed burnt out from travel in ways banking people weren’t burnt out from work volume. The stress is different. Product people I know seem happier overall, but most of them came from tech backgrounds where they already knew the language and culture.
here’s what nobody tells you: banking pays you to be smart with money. consulting pays you to think you’re smart but stays vague about the value. product pays you to build but expects you to know what you’re doing already. if you’re in it for credentials, do banking or consulting. if you actually want to own outcomes, try product—but only if you have a real interest in the space.
Survey data from career transition trackers indicates that 60% of banking analysts who exit do so within 3-5 years; 40% of consultants exit within 4-6 years; product retention is highest at 65+ in comparable timeframes. This suggests banking creates natural endpoints while consulting and product offer longer runway if satisfied.
A friend did banking for two years, then went to McKinsey, hated it more, and went to product at a startup. She said banking was at least honest about being hard. Consulting felt like hard work disguised as intellectual stimulation. Product isn’t easy, but it’s a different kind of challenge. She’s stays put now. The point is, you learn what you actually want by trying, but being intentional about it beforehand helps.