Which offer puts me in a better position for BB IB?

Hi everyone,

I have an offer at a boutique IB in Phoenix and an offer with the financial consulting group at CB Richard Ellis (CBRE).

The boutique specializes in buy-side of M&A advisory. Its clients are mostly PE firms that are interested in acquiring middle-market companies. I would be doing deal origination and very little modeling, if any.

At CBRE I would be working as an analyst in the financial consulting team responsible for the underwriting of commercial real estate. The job is very data-driven and I will have the opportunity to do a lot of modeling with Argus in addition to Excel.

After working in one of these roles for two to three years I plan on getting my MBA at Columbia. Subsequently, I intend on landing an associate gig at MS IB or JPM IB in SF.

Do you guys think the job at the M&A shop or CBRE will put me in a better position for BB IB after my MBA?

Do you guys know of anyone that has moved on from commercial real estate to IB?

I really appreciate all of your insights.

 
Best Response

I'm no authority but here are my thoughts:

I'd go with the real estate gig (partly because I have an interest in real estate). You'll get some good quant skills at CBRE, and I think in the next few years that will be a better business than boutique banking, unless it's top tier shop. I think the name recognition at CBRE will get you into a good B-school, and you don't run the risk of burning out on IB before grad school, since your goal afterwards is BB IB.

And I know people that have gone from real estate to IB after an MBA. I also know people who have gone from random bullshit to IB, you just have to be smart, motivated, and get into a good B-school.

 

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