BB middle office financial controller or PwC TAS

any insight? the firm is MS if that does anything...definitely doesnt seem as secure now though

While I discourage seeking career counsel from a public forum I must say that in this market a gig in M&A advisory at Big 4 or consulting ain't that bad at all because you engage with f500 clients and you'll quickly obtain transaction experience while building transferable skills in valuation and due diligence for a variety of transactions.

A controller gig is more like an internal audit function at the entry level which may be attractive (depending on your long-term goals) if you want to understand financial reporting for FIGs/brokerages, or are looking to transition to FIG banking, but believe me, you won't advise a diverse client base like the front office bankers, or Big 4 M&A advisory. Your client will be MS's CFO or CAO and that's it. Big 4 M&A advisory will expose you to the same clients at any BB for assistance with deal due diligence, valuation, allocation of purchase price, and other very important functions.

Following the demise of LEH/ML/BS, bulge bracket prestige and glory just won't be what it once was, so I'd start out at a position where I can develop a diverse skill set to aid me when this market takes off again. It's not where you start, but how you finish.

Goodluck buddy.

I know many people who've lateraled from Big-4 in a corpfin type role into BB banking... know much fewer who have made the move from back office.