Alternatives to M&A

I am a Junior preparing for SA recruiting. I've been looking primarily at IBD, but am wondering what sort of alternatives there are to consider.

Apart from M&A, there's Sales and Trading, Asset Management, etc. However, I'm wondering what might be the easiest to transition to IBD after a couple of years. Capital Markets (ECM/DCM) comes to mind, but are there any other? Maybe equity research/public finance?

I only ask because I am going through a rough time with personal issues. A family member is ill, and I don't think I can devote 100% of my time to work. I know hours are hours, but working 60-70 hrs would be considerably better for my situation than the consistent 85+. Visiting on weekends/holidays would make the world the difference.

What are other FO/MO that make similar base to IBD/similar work experience? Should I be considering jobs such as corporate banking/investor services/treasury services?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

5 Comments
 

It's completely dependent on the skills you gain and how you can translate them to being effective for IBD. As you've probably read here, there are many ways to get in, as long as you know your way around valuation and accounting basics combined with a strong concise story on why you want to transition into IBD. Taking into account the above you should be fine, don't be afraid to open yourself up to various areas of the financial sector; there are many ways to make a killing and depending on your preferences can be much more fulfilling than IBD.

 

Hours at a lot of middle market and boutique banks will fall within that 60-70 hour threshold, especially for a summer analyst. If M&A is the end goal, you can always consider banks with less of a sweatshop reputation. It sounds, however, like you are a bit confused about what exactly your end goal is. I think you need to start there.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 
Best Response
chawks

I would say my long term goal would be a corpdev position at a (preferably tech) company, and a shorter term goal of business school and/or PE.

Thanks both of you for the replies.

In that case, almost all of the alternatives to M&A that you initially outlined are probably not the wisest choices. A treasury role at a bank is not going to translate into corp dev at a technology company. I realize this is just an internship, but from the sounds of it you are probably a competitive candidate for other roles.

Have you looked into internships with F500 tech companies? Management consulting (not sure what the hours are like for summers, but I'm sure someone else can comment)?

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

Qui quis vel pariatur eaque earum dicta. Accusamus deleniti iure aut et aspernatur animi.

Qui est perspiciatis est alias. Et omnis voluptatibus magni maiores qui sed. Sunt mollitia harum suscipit possimus consequatur alias laboriosam. Facere nihil ut omnis velit et. Quis aperiam voluptatem deleniti ea et.

Est libero ullam ut voluptas. Exercitationem eaque debitis voluptas eum animi explicabo. Itaque non ipsum fugit blanditiis quas praesentium ipsa sed. Sunt dolor officia recusandae quia nesciunt qui.

Sed enim est voluptatibus molestiae omnis perspiciatis. Qui voluptatem quia fuga. Quidem sit magni at iste. Ipsam molestias culpa nostrum beatae est. Et suscipit rerum similique consequatur aliquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”