Does anyone have any experience with or know what kind of hours one can expect to work in buy side asset management (think mutual funds) in LA or San Fran?

Are you supposed to be at your desk at 4:30am or something before the NYC market opens??

How difficult is it to go from Cali IB to buyside shops in NYC? Interviewing logistics is probably going to be the biggest obstacle but does anyone know people who've done it and how?

I'm looking to make the jump to the buyside, but I'd like to move from the West Coast to the East Coast as well. How open are funds in, say, NYC to a first round phone interview rather than meeting in person necessarily?

Do BB banks have ECM/DCM positions on the West Coast or only on the East?

Thanks!

editted

I'm a student in SoCal and received an offer for a summer analyst position at Montgomery & Co. in LA and Stifel in SF.

I found some info on Stifel here: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/info-on-stifel, but since there's not much information about Montgomery & Co. online, I was wondering if IB/VC/PE folks in the west coast could provide some advice regarding their reputation, deal flow, and potential exit opps. Seems like they work with pretty cool companies and will have decent exit to VC firms given the nature of their work, but I can't be too sure.

Does anyone have have an opinion on the state of CS SF? I know many bankers left to Qatalyst in the past, but at the same time, CS is expanding and deal flow seems to be strong.

Also, how would you compare them to GS, MS, and Qatalyst, and are there any major differences in terms of what tech verticals each specializes in?

I might have an in for a fund in San Fran, but the prospect of getting up at 4am every day sounds pretty awful. Is it as shitty as it sounds?

Anyone heard back from anywhere?
Questions about west coast recruiting?
List whether its LA or SF.

Currently a Junior at semi-target in the West Coast. Seeking an IB SA position at a BB. I am 2 years ahead at school, being only 18 with enough credits to be considered a Junior. I have been attending info sessions and will be submitting applications soon. I have a strong resume, with experience working for a multi-billion dollar real estate firm, boutique investment banking firm, starting my own sector of a business within a screen printing manufacturing business, as well as an internship in wealth management that got me started.

What does everyone suggest?

I am even considering Master's programs as well. Any recommendations?

I'm currently pursuing my MBA at a top tier university. Although I'm from the east coast originally, I have strong ties to the west coast as well (mainly the LA area). In addition, from a lifestyle perspective, I feel i'd really like to work on the west coast full time.

I'm targeting consulting as my top career choice, and feel the best fit at BCG. Just wondering if anyone here has any insight as to how BCG compares to Bain and McKinsey in their LA offices.

I would also consider SF, but I've heard BCG has a much smaller office than Bain/McKinsey there. Whether that means it's not as strong, I'm not sure.

Any insight?

Hi everybody,

I am an incoming freshman who is going to UC Berkeley. I want to work at a top consulting firm in SF (Bain, BCG, Mck) after I graduate. I plan to get into Haas and maintain a high gpa. I might decide to double major in business and economics or business and legal studies.

Secondly, during my first semester I am going to try to join some business clubs or maybe a frat if I am allowed(Delta Sigma Pi, Berkeley Consulting, Berkeley Investment Club, etc). In order to get into the clubs I need to interview and practice cases. What do people recommend using for an absolute beginner?

Generally, how big are the BB and elite boutique offices in the west coast?
For example, GS SF, Moelis LA, MS Menlo Park, BAML Palo Alto, etc...

Thanks!

Hey all,

If you get a FT offer from a BB or an elite boutique, do you get to choose whether you want to be in the West coast or the East coast?
I know that offices in SF, LA, etc. recruit directly for their offices, but will you still have a shot at being placed in, for example, MS tech at Menlo Park if you interview at their NY office?

Thanks.

Do west coast consulting firms, hedge funds and private equity firms come to Wharton at recruiting time (Philadelphia Wharton obviously)?

Is it true that CS LA is better in terms of deal flow and reputation than CS NY? Are there any other banks whose west coast offices trump their NY offices?

Do the West Coast tech offices of BBs traditionally interview for SA positions in the same time frame that the New York offices do (i.e. starting in late January/early February)?

I'm interested in interviewing with some of the West Coast BB offices, so I don't want to be surprised if recruiting usually starts earlier/later than the NY offices.

Any insight would be appreciated!

Does anyone know which companies have trading analyst positions on the west coast?

Questions to anyone that's moved to the west coast for PE.

NYC banking that's thinking of relocating to the west coast to do PE.
Anyone have an idea for social life of first year associates? Don't know anyone there, how hard will it be to find people to chill with?

OK, I work at a trading desk on the West Coast (California) from 6:00am to 3:00pm local time. Which means I need to get up before 5am to get ready for work every day.

I also would like to be able to hit up some bars or clubs with friends on the weekends, usually from 10pm to 2am. I'm curious about how those of you on the west coast working similar hours handle this as I don't readjust very well to these changes in my waking schedule..

Does anyone know anything about the Centerview LA office? I know they just hired Skip Paul Jones, but there isn't much else out there. Have they closed anything yet? How many people work in that office? Would it be a good FT opportunity, or is it best to stay away from brand new boutique offices?

Thanks for the help

I start FT this summer, and I just received notice that my team will be moving on in the west coast BB office that I am set to join. I can either switch to the tech group or stay on with my group and move to NYC. The tech group is very well known, but I enjoy the industry my current group covers more. Any advice?

Hey guys,

I'm gonna be a 1st year in the Menlo/Palo Alto area in august (after training). Anyone else moving out there and looking for a chill roommate? PM me.

Can anyone shed light on sales and trading opportunities on the West Coast? Also, is it a huge disadvantage to work in California rather than NYC? I know the hours are a little rough because of the west coast time difference, but is it manageable? Thanks!

Would there be a significant difference in terms of exit opps between one MBB on the West Coast vs. another on the East Coast? Neither is the headquarters, but one is a larger office than the other.

Now that the war is over, how would you rank the groups on the West Coast as far as expectations over the next couple years? I am particularly curious about what you guys think about JPM TMT (M&A).

When it comes to exit ops (PE), are CSLA, GS TMT, and MS Tech still a cut above all else for analysts, has JPM moved into that group, or has the spread between all groups decreased due to lack of deal flow and difficult recruiting?

Although facts are nice, I am expecting more opinions here, so fire away.

I have a few questions if anyone cares to humor me. I am prospectively looking at IB in the SF region. I really want to get into Tech M&A. Bare with me, IB just entered my scope a few weeks ago. I am a junior looking at summer 09 analyst positions. Any advice greatly appreciated.

1. What kind of hours do analysts work in BB: CS, UBS, MS, and ML?
2. What about Boutique?
3. Is it possible to maintain normal relationships?.
4. What are the best places for Tech in the SF region?

Thanks in advance!

Anyone have an idea of which firms recruit out of undergrad? Not talking about the big-mega funds that taken 1-2 out of HYPW a year....

Thanks a bunch in advance.