The buyside vs. IB dilemma has been discussed ad nauseam on here and on mergers & inquisitions. Buyside gives you more control over your time, better hours, and in most cases better pay. The work is also more interesting (investing vs sales).

Most transferable specific skill is probably modeling. The models you construct on the buyside are more detailed than the ones you build in banking, though. Aside from modeling, the "ability" to work long hours and the high level of attention to detail you develop in IB are also valuable.

 
ch1mp:

The buyside vs. IB dilemma has been discussed ad nauseam on here and on mergers & inquisitions. Buyside gives you more control over your time, better hours, and in most cases better pay. The work is also more interesting (investing vs sales).

Most transferable specific skill is probably modeling. The models you construct on the buyside are more detailed than the ones you build in banking, though. Aside from modeling, the "ability" to work long hours and the high level of attention to detail you develop in IB are also valuable.

But many pre-mba buyside gigs are 2-year-and-out programs, and the promotion on the buyside is much more uncertain than IB.

 

Of course, but I feel that most analysts are smart enough to realize this, and do consider the cost + opportunity cost of an MBA and the loss of upward mobility prior to making the move to the buyside. The fact of the matter is that most analysts just don't want to stay in IB. Sure, you'd probably make more money over the course of your career by staying in IB instead of taking the whole IB --> MM PE --> MBA --> MM PE route, but if you'd be miserable in IB or if you're just more interested in PE, it's probably worth taking the risk. As long as you're sensible with your expenses, you'll end up with a decent amount of money either way.

 

Assume you mean PE Associate? Much bigger different between PE Analyst vs. Associate than IBD Analyst vs. Associate...

For the same reason that some people who didn't do super well in school got great IBD gigs - networking, personality, interview skills, prioritization of efforts, luck - not-so-good IBD analysts can get solid buyside jobs. There is a lot of overlap (they don't call it banking 2.0 for nothing) - but, again, it's not rocket science. Just like a liberal arts undergrad can get up to speed for IBD, a subpar banker can make his/her way through a few years of PE.

 

"Skill set" ....do you have sound investing principles? Do you understand finance? Can you work excel...as some others mentioned, we are not assembling heat seeking missiles. Even if you are a grinder with no brain function I'm sure you can land a PE gig. Creating value for your partners is a different story...

I think half of the people on this forum are clueless. The other half who are in bullshit "IBD" groups are disillusioned. As for the OP... you are either a) not out of college/in a legitimate role, or b) you are not so bright. Good luck, have fun.

 
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