Comparing Endowments: Factors to Consider

I am considering transitioning to an endowment (goal is to stay in the E&F space for the rest of my career), and have two investment management companies which I am very far along the process in. If I am fortunate enough to have the ability to choose, what are some of the factors I should consider? 

Factors Currently Being Considered:

Learning Experience / Intellectual Stimulation

Scalability of Responsibles / Ability for Internal Growth

People / Culture

Location

Pay is very low on my priority list since both endowments' pay is commercial given the hours and high positive impact (~100k+ for analysts, ~200k+ for associates) 

Background

<1yr of IB at CVP/LAZ/EVR/GS/MS/JPM

Very passionate about LP / capital allocator space and love the mission of endowments

Summary of Firms

Endowment A is $10b+ fund with 15+ investment professionals. Offer is generalist.

Endowment B is $2b+ fund with 5 investment professionals. Offer would be for private assets. 

12 Comments
 

It's much better than the thoughtless process banking which IB currently is. I much prefer working for a firm which creates values for thousands of students as a capital allocator. 

 
Most Helpful

Ignore title, transitioned to an E&F role this year. Early on in your career, I think generalist roles are pretty attractive just to get exposure to more asset classes before siloing yourself into one. Like any job, also think about the location cause you'll be there for the next couple of years as well as the people you'll be working with. Because E&Fs generally don't have too structured of a training program, you want to make sure the team members take mentorship pretty seriously. 

 

Consider the strength of the CIO/senior team -- how strong is input from the committee? Are any of the asset classes in rebuild mode? How tactical are they as it relates to coinvest? The fun part of the job is making new commitments and meeting with lots of new firms (imho), so I'd suggest thinking through your interview experience and what the work might look like over the next few years. Happy to chat if helpful.

 

Totally unrelated. Just got a gig at a E&F adjacent role (think pension fund, alternative investing)...

Can I PM you some small questions about the E&F industry? I just want a little guidance so as to be the best analyst out there.

Cheers

 

Corporis corporis aut consequatur consequatur vitae numquam fugit. Et iure odit sed est nihil officiis. Harum voluptas qui autem assumenda deleniti vel. Error atque tempora odit quasi porro. Veniam quis ut voluptatem. Soluta sapiente autem numquam quaerat autem dolores quod asperiores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”