So after having spent almost a year searching for an analyst or associate role in a VC firm, I’ve finally gotten an offer. It’s with a small west coast firm with a 75MM fund, 2yr min commitment, and salary of 85k. I’d also be their first analyst. HOWEVER, as ironic as it seems, over the past 2 months I’ve started rethinking my life/career and am seriously considering reverting to what I almost went into in the first place: Dentristy. As crazy as it seems, I would honestly enjoy both career paths equally, yet I think dentristry would offer a more well-balanced lifestyle while still getting compensated excellently (150-250k/yr). My career path in VC would likely be much more volatile. I already have a few years consulting experience and I’d now start with 2yrs as a VC analyst. After that, it would probably be an MBA or just try to skip that step and enter as an associate with a different firm. However, your career in business is always at the mercy of company politics, the economy, and the risk of failure/burnout. For these reasons, I keep coming back to dentristy…you can also work as a dentist well into your 70’s by just scaling back your hours as you see fit. So, am I just fricken nuts? Thoughts?
Have you been through dental school already? If not, then I think this is a no-brainer…against dentistry. I would think the fact that you were able to secure a position in VC shows that you will most likely be fairly successful in terms of general career and compensation, at least to the same degree as a dentist but with more upside in business. And it’s not like you can’t have a good lifestyle in business, you just need to find the right opportunity. There is something to be said for the hours that dentists are able to work, however. I have many friends who have gone into dentistry for the reasons you have cited. I sort of believe that the market is probably becoming over-saturated with dentists but I really don’t know. I think it should ultimately come down to whether you think you’ll be happy putting your hands in other peoples’ mouths for your profession. Are you passionate about doing that kind of work? If so, then do it. Alternatively, I think you will have a very good experience at the VC firm and you can re-evaluate after 2 years if need be.
Lostinlife Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So after having spent almost a year searching for > an analyst or associate role in a VC firm, I’ve > finally gotten an offer. It’s with a small west > coast firm with a 75MM fund, 2yr min commitment, > and salary of 85k. I’d also be their first > analyst. HOWEVER, as ironic as it seems, over the > past 2 months I’ve started rethinking my > life/career and am seriously considering reverting > to what I almost went into in the first place: > Dentristy. > > As crazy as it seems, I would honestly enjoy both > career paths equally, yet I think dentristry would > offer a more well-balanced lifestyle while still > getting compensated excellently (150-250k/yr). > > My career path in VC would likely be much more > volatile. I already have a few years consulting > experience and I’d now start with 2yrs as a VC > analyst. After that, it would probably be an MBA > or just try to skip that step and enter as an > associate with a different firm. However, your > career in business is always at the mercy of > company politics, the economy, and the risk of > failure/burnout. For these reasons, I keep coming > back to dentristy…you can also work as a dentist > well into your 70’s by just scaling back your > hours as you see fit. > > So, am I just fricken nuts? Thoughts? these are two completely different career paths and you need to define for yourself what really matters. if you don’t like the idea of being at the mercy of the economy, or investors, or those above you – then you probably want to go into dentistry, especially if you have the skill. one thing you really will never have if you work in finance is autonomy, unless you start up your own trading desk/hedge fund or you’re just the top guy in an organization where you can’t be ousted by shareholders. both careers can be pretty lucrative if you’re good at what you do, with more upside in VC as VOBA mentioned…but that’s true of most areas in finance. however, for the upside, you’re also giving up a lot in terms of stability and autonomy. you just have to decide which appeals to you more.
If you truly believe that you will enjoy both career paths equally, I would choose dentistry hands down. Dentists make their own hours, have an excellent lifestyle relative to finance-types, have great job security, very good salary, and no residency required like in med school. I strongly considered going into dentistry after college but finally decided that I didn’t want to be working on people’s mouths for the rest of my life. That’s the only downside in my mind, and if that’s not an issue dentistry is an ideal profession. Having said that, if you are unsure you can always take the VC job and then decide to go to dental school in a year or so - it would be difficult to do things the other way around, though.
This is a joke, right?
If you can be content doing dentistry, then do it. Set your own hours, low pressure, be your own boss (eventually), good income nearly guaranteed into your 70’s, weekends off (if you desire). I personally would be bored out of my mind, but dentists have it pretty good. \
this post blows my mind.
VOBA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would think the fact that you were able to > secure a position in VC shows that you will most > likely be fairly successful in terms of general > career and compensation this is a pretty pathetic piece of logic, and you should retract it. labels, degrees, appointment letters, etc. do not predict success. > I think it > should ultimately come down to whether you think > you’ll be happy putting your hands in other > peoples’ mouths for your profession. Are you > passionate about doing that kind of work? If so, > then do it. you have ID’ed the real issue here > Alternatively, I think you will have a > very good experience at the VC firm and you can > re-evaluate after 2 years if need be. VC fund returns distibutions are highy skewed negatively, only the top 25% of the funds beat their cost of capital if you look at the analysis. the only reason this VC PE crap is popular among the bottom 75% is that it is the modern day fat banker career - you cream the upside, LPs take all the downside, you get to pass judgment on others who know much more than you about a business, and many other such shameless perks.
I know this seems crazy, but I’m honestly at a cross roads so thanks for your replies so far. Obviously VC jobs don’t come by very often, so if I give this up I doubt I’ll have another chance anytime soon. However, I feel extremely drawn to dentistry and my only unknown is whether I’ll make it through dentistry school. I think I would, but that’s the one risk that would leave me shi$ out of luck, having turned down a VC role and failed at dentistry.
wow. This post is like a guns and butter question. Pure risk, vs virtually none. Shocking…
Lostinlife Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I know this seems crazy, but I’m honestly at a > cross roads I too am torn. I can’t decide between equity research or Elvis Impersonation.
Lostinlife Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I know this seems crazy, but I’m honestly at a > cross roads so thanks for your replies so far. > Obviously VC jobs don’t come by very often, so if > I give this up I doubt I’ll have another chance > anytime soon. what did you do - beg them for a job? what makes you think you will succeed in VC, other than the $$ signs on your eyelids. being a good VC requires skills - only the top quartile really make money. what makes you so sure you are one of them. > > However, I feel extremely drawn to dentistry and > my only unknown is whether I’ll make it through > dentistry school. I think I would, but that’s the > one risk that would leave me shi$ out of luck, > having turned down a VC role and failed at > dentistry. what draws you to dentistry, bad breath possibly? you haven’t even been to dental school yet, and are not confident of making it through it, but are drawn to dentistry…hmmm…this is a most interesting situation, especially with the VC curveball in the mix too…wow, dude, how in the world did you manage to get into this pickle? wow, i mean, WOW…oh man, geez, no, i mean, really, how?
rohufish, Excellent post. You hit the nail on the head. I begged for my job in VC and I’ve got $$ on my eyelids. I have no skills whatsoever, yet I am supremely confident that I’ll be a VC visionary if I so choose. Honestly, what was the goal of your post? Are you still in highschool? Were you expunged from your mom knowing exactly what you wanted to do all your life and never waivered an ounce along the way? I’ve been fairly successful so far in my life and I’m considering a different direction in my career - you seem to have taken my situation as a personal insult? Maybe you were up for the same VC job that I now have an offer to.
easy tiger, you need a thick skin around here. until you earn your stars, take the lumps and learn. i’ve spend some time in VC by the way, so i know the business very well. VC is not about being a ‘visionary’ by the way, sorry to pop the bubble. here we have a hard time predicting cashflows 6 mos out, and tech lifecycles are shorter than a fruitfly’s lifespan, and there’s 26 yr old kids walking around as VCs thinking they are a ‘visionary’. you wanna be a good VC? then go start a business first, and attend the school of hard knocks. and if you’re talking about PE/laterstage, go work in IB and put in your 100 hr workweeks while you learn about arbitrary, senseless, nonintuitive tax rules. maybe, if you succeed, or at least until you learn enough about how hard it is to survive until your 2nd/3rd fund, you will actually add value to this blighted business full of ‘visionaries’ who specialize in wine n cheese pairings, and schmoozing their way into value-destroying deals.
lostinlife, really, what were hoping to hear by coming onto a forum called ‘analystforum’ and asking for advice on a career choice between VC and dentistry? i am actually being very charitable by warning you about the risks of a mediocre VC career. you’ll be at dentistry school - just after spinning wheels in VC for a few years. give me some validation for what is so blindingly shiny about you that the successful entrepreneurs are going to be lining up for you to join their board while paying respects with offerings of % stakes of their sweat and tears company at your feet. i just see a choice between a shaky little VC fund, and dental school as an alternative. give me something shiny and i’ll get more excited.
The thing is, he first posted on http://www.dentistry.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000148.html and got booted for asking questions about venture capital. A Google search turns up no forums dedicated to dentistry and venture capital.
Lostinlife - you gotta ignore this kid ^. He’s a pleb. Now I don’t know about your problem, but me… I think… I wanna be a shepherd. I wanna move up to Nashua, get a nice little spread, get some sheep and tend to them.
rohufish is into sheep too.
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According to Nasim Taleb in Fooled by Randomness, your dentist is the richest guy you know…