Microsoft FRP or BB Investment Banking
I'm currently an IB intern in a BB (GS/MS/JPM) and I got a first round for the Microsoft FRP program. Honestly been feeling very burnt out from this summer and also don't like my group culture as much. If it goes well and I end up getting an offer, I'd heavily consider going down the FRP route. Any thoughts?
Would love to know more about the potential rotations I could go into for the program.
This is a tough question to answer. The FRP is a strong program that places well. I have a strong contact who graduated from the program and is currently PMing a well-known MSFT product. So the exit opportunities from this program, if you want to stay within the company, are more than just Finance. My contact has also mentioned multiple members from his/her cohort that gained acceptance into M7 b-schools. In short, you will have the same type of access to corporate opportunities from Microsoft's FRP as you would coming out of a BB IB, with the exception of certain financial services roles (PE/HF/VC/etc.). This FRP is highly competitive in nature, so getting in carries a lot of weight.
What have you heard about GE's FMP program? Is it comparable?
I think there are several threads on this forum that discuss the GE FMP, but I can't speak to it personally. I think the FMP could still offer a great resume boost due to the reputation that the program has, historically speaking.
im set to intern there next year in the FRP program and i had the chance to talk to full time FRP’s in private rooms where they could answer questions like this on a more personal level. a lot shift from pursuing IB/ mgt consulting as they realized the better work culture, wlb, and more was worth it to them. tons of different teams you could be placed on some ranging from being more strategic to others being more traditional corp fin roles. definitely worth shooting for!
If you think it’s a group issue you could try to re recruit for a different bank, but if you genuinely don’t see yourself in IB at all in the future then the FRP route at Microsoft is a good one. A lot can move into product groups or go into an M7 MBA after a few years but as previous commenter said exits to PE/VC/etc not common. Overall good program for sure
It's a good program, but dude... you're working in fucking corporate finance from a BB. We can say good wlb and all that, but you're going from working on large deals, with really sharp, outgoing people on lean teams, to glorified accounting for two years minimum. You're also closing yourself off from all the coolest exits (which, as a gs/jp/Ms analyst you will have), including top corp dev. Go look at all top corp dev people out there, almost all of them did an analyst stint somewhere. Corp fin is much more of a deadend, even if it's a decent deadend. Slog it out for a year, meet some interesting people, learn a ton (which you won't rly do at Microsoft), and then dip for a corp dev analyst/associate position at a cooler tech co. I know someone who's been at Microsoft for six years now, was an frp intern/full time, and they don't have a single person working under them yet. It's just a slow slow life.
Yeah.. all of these people touting essentially an F500 FLDP program as even close to the experience / branding of a BB IB Analyst stint are smoking some good shit.
This is an Investment Banking forum, so naturally, there will be a bias towards traditional IB-specific exit opps such as Corporate Development, PE/HF, etc. Not everyone has those particular goals, however, so the appeal of shaving 2 years off your life and 3 inches off your hairline isn't nearly as strong.
If you have any specific questions about the program, feel free to DM me!
Wondering how you got the Microsoft interview. Did you network at all? Any advice for someone who's prior internship carries a bit less weight?
I didn't network until after I got the interview, but I reached out to a recruiter after attending a diversity info session to introduce myself and let them know I applied.
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