I have a strange sense of sadness for my friends who are "stuck" on Wall Street. Strange because it's weird to feel sad for someone making $250k+ per year, but I've heard their first hand accounts of how much they hate their jobs. If you're the type of person who can step back from the ego-driven culture of investment banking I feel like everyone reaches the same meta-conclusions that Nick did. It's just unbelievably hard for them to step away from the money.
I mean, I'd like to think I would be able to make that choice and that purpose and meaning would ultimately trump a large paycheck. But nobody's putting $250k+ in my pocket so it's genuinely hard to say.
One of the hardest parts about leaving is that after a few years all the friends in the world that you have are in finance because they are the only ones that can afford the restaurants, bars and activities as you. Then when you decide to leave it means giving up all those friends because after leaving you no longer will be able to afford hanging out with your friends from finance. It's surreal to have friends that you can only maintain via your current job.
I mean, I'd like to think I would be able to make that choice and that purpose and meaning would ultimately trump a large paycheck. But nobody's putting $250k+ in my pocket so it's genuinely hard to say.
Kudos to Nick for leaving. It took guts.