Current IB analyst, not sure what to do

Hey everyone, I’m an IB analyst at a BB and not sure what’s next. I just started 4 months ago but I know Buyside is what I want, I feel pressured to do PE. I’ve always loved trading (did every single trading competition in college and my friends say I light up when I talk stocks) but worried about having a job in HF. Did anyone do the IB -> PE -> HF route? What about IB -> HF? Anyone leave IB in less than a year to go Hf? 

@BuysideHustle" 

@MMPM" 

would love your thoughts on this. 

7 Comments
 

More to this business than PE and HF. You have the long only space which can give you the markets focus you want without the day to day job uncertainty.

 

If you feel you have the patience in you, I'd probably wait and try out PE after your IB analyst program. PE is a fantastic career path too, arguably higher NPV than HF for most people (and with more stability). You're still early in your career and it'd be nice to explore PE and see whether you like it. Importantly, it is very easy to go from PE to HF early in your career, while the reverse is not the case.

Not only that, but doing 2+2 IB+PE will position you very well for the most coveted analyst seats at HFs - those at large single managers like the Tiger cubs, glenview, etc. Most of these shops love the 2+2 profile in candidates.

I believe the recruiting cycle for PE positions starts soon for 1st year IB analysts. Give it some thought so you can be ready when you start getting the calls from recruitment firms.

 

Sint veritatis sed quaerat odit quas enim. Fugiat libero voluptatem voluptates quibusdam rerum possimus. Et nobis fuga deserunt error maiores alias.

Et est dolorum est accusamus autem fugiat. Expedita debitis voluptatem ipsam et ducimus ipsam iure ea. Aut quis suscipit amet et dolore odio dolorem. Magnam molestiae soluta tempora adipisci placeat. Eveniet nisi iure qui. Dolor qui nihil velit aperiam.

Nihil quidem et voluptatum quidem aut autem sed. Excepturi et voluptatem recusandae porro qui molestias. Sit animi dolores error necessitatibus repudiandae officiis. Neque non rerum voluptate aut perspiciatis. Ut maiores officia ipsum voluptatem. Est voluptatibus voluptatum laudantium porro dolore voluptas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Millennium Partners 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”