Scaled SM vs EB vs MM program out if ugrad

I know this sounds like a wild hypothetical (it is) but this may be helpful as students are asked to make earlier and earlier career decisions.


If you wanted to end up in l/s, learn a ton as a junior, have a long career in the space, and the ability to join a fund that fits as you learn your process down the line, what are the pros/cons of each?

I don’t want to hear SM vs MM nonsense debate or why every junior should start in IB. I’m curious of the benefits and drawdowns of each.


There are only so many SMs, MM training programs, so I understand IB to access more funds. But IB —> HF pipeline looks haphazard, and what funds can you access through this path that you couldn’t through day1 work exp?

I’m new, and I understand these topics are covered on these forums, but previous threads devolve into debates about which path is best—not what I’m interested in here.

12 Comments
 

What do we define as a scaled SM? If it's like the others that people mention on this site, undergrads likely won't get offers there, and there won't be training available. The answer is MM training program.

 

not OP but went to a west coast target. in SF i know farallon / valiant have. I've heard of a couple of NYC SMs that take people too but not the Maverick/TGM type of places. places a couple steps down but unsure here so wont cite names. and matrix before the shuttered in boston. then weiss (SM?), finepoint but unsure.

 

Top 3 MM >> IB if you want to do L/S. Biased ofc but there aren't really any reasonable arguments that hold water against it.

No idea about the SMs since I never recruited for them, but I'm willing to bet its a case-by-case type argument

 

there are actually no posts that make this explicit comparison. Please read the disclosure I gave too. Yes, there are daily posts asking about Mm vs sm as career paths but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m wondering if anybody can speak to the trade offs as a junior analyst.

 

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