TFA vs. Monitor vs. Nomura vs. Qatalyst

I recruited for a lot of different areas this year, and these are the offers I got. I have a lot of interests, and just wanted to get a sense of what people think are the best opportunities. What do you guys think? They're all FT positions, and Qatalyst is IB, Nomura is S&T, Teach for America is for a high school around Oakland. These are all for SF/bay area. I haven't worked at any of these places, so I don't know what the culture is like.

 

TFA sounds like it can be incredibly stressful dealing with 40 kids from underprivileged backgrounds everyday - but it also sounds like can be the most rewarding but you need to like what you are doing

They are all great opportunities, and I wouldn't discount monitor either - they're a top consulting firm that opens up a ton of doors to HBS, Wharton and other grad programs etc

 
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If your ultimate goal is finance you I'd take one of the finance jobs. However, you can always ask one of these companies for a deferral like some of the BBs offer.

The thing is who knows if you will be able to get a finance job in the future, its a crap shoot. Whereas you could probably always go back into TFA or teaching in some capacity with a little more ease.

Whatever you choose make the break as smooth as possible and try to leave the door open for the future.

 
Best Response

Firstly, congratulations on all your offers. It must have been hell interviewing, but clearly it has paid off dividends.

Like everyone has said, we wish we knew you a little bit better because then we have a better idea of your personality and where you would want to be.

Teach for America- very interesting. There was a New York Times article about it and how it was "easier" to get into law school rather than TFA, so good job with that. Like everyone else said, it will be a very fulfilling experience, and you'll feel like you made a difference in children's lives, which will make anyone smile.

Monitor- as a first year in consulting, you'll get a lot of hands on experience with excel but also with clients. You'll find that there's a lot of accounting involved (depending on which group you end up with, but it's true pretty much across the board), but there's also a lot of qualitative factors that need to be put in. Better worklife balance than IBD.

Nomura S&T- Personally, I'm not a sales and trading guy, but I will say what everyone has probably said to you already. If you like exams, do S&T. If you like working on projects, go to IBD.

Qatalyst - I've never heard of them, but that doesn't mean anything. Just know that with a smaller IBD, you won't have the name brand of a BB, but you'll be working on deals from start to finish rather than just a specific section of the modeling.

Best of luck, but which one you choose, you'll be in very good shape for whatever else you want to do down the line.

--Death, lighter than a feather; duty, heavier than a mountain
 

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