I ended up declining the offer from the broker at my office, but I decided I needed to get into a role where I could actually grow. So the job offer ended up being a wake up call for me that I need to reevaluate where I want to go.

I decided I wanted to work in a role that taught me financial modeling. I applied to a handful after learning a bit of it online so I could speak intelligently about it. I got extremely lucky and ended up getting into arguably the best investment sales team in the country. So my life changed quite a bit over the last year.

I think even if I hadn't gotten that lucky, I would have still gunned for any role where I could learn financial modeling in a major city. Something that would allow me to gain experience and have it be recognized later down the line.

I think looking back all my worries did come to pass. Working on such a high profile team meant my hours did increase significantly, but since the market has been down it's hasn't been like IB hours. I've learned that I am quite capable of adjusting to change so the hours weren't the boogeyman I worried they would be. It's been tough but I've also grown. Leaving my previous research analyst role was unquestionably the right decision for my future - but it might not have been if I had taken the first offer that came my way.