BB, PE, or MBB?

Just an undergrad here looking for career guidance. Could anyone shed some light on which has the highest mid-career pay, and which is the most intellectually stimulating/rewarding? My general idea is that PE pays the most, consulting is probably the most intellectually challenging.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with my career, because on one hand financial compensation is important, but on the other hand so is being fully satisfied with the role.

Anyone have an idea on what I should trend towards?

11 Comments
 

I think banking gives the most options. Throw market related roles like AM and Hedge Funds into the mix since you're looking for something intellectually stimulating, MBB doesn't really have established exits other than corporate strategy and it usually makes it harder to get finance positions.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

I would say sales and analysis are not mutually exclusive. My MD and I do a ton of capital structure and financial impact analysis when prepping for a client meeting, and he does a ton or extra homework on top of that, but ultimately we only gereate revenue if he can pitch the client successfully on the product(s) and out ability to deliver on them. I would the amount of analysis you do goes up from mid-career where you are focusing more on execution and project management.

 
Best Response
"rickrossm24"Just an undergrad here looking for career guidance....I'm trying to figure out what to do with my career...And obviously, I don't want to settle for anything beneath the top firms in any of the three industries.

Anyone have an idea on what I should trend towards?

If you're honestly looking for career guidance, try to align your individual strengths to an industry/role that you personally find interesting.

Focusing solely on pay or prestige ("I don't want to settle for anything beneath the top firms...") will only cause frustration and resentment in the long-run.

 

Fair enough, that's a pretty good way to look at things. I'd like to think my ability to convince is pretty strong, pitching things just doesn't appeal to me as much as doing something more analytical. Guess the only way I'm gonna steer clear of "sales" is by becoming a quant or turning down promotions and staying an associate for the rest of my life, lol.

interpaperhammer , you're right, I do not know enough about the average work of an upper-level position. That's why I'm here, to learn from people with experience like yours.

 

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