Big Four Consulting vs. Underpaid M&A Intership

So I was offered this Analyst position at a Big Four firm for a consulting position - Information Technology in the FIG industry.

At the same time, I have an M&A internship offer at a BB bank, but it is underpaid with almost no opportunity to remain there after the internship period. The BB bank is operating as a branch in my country (deals are still all international) and has a fleet of recent graduated interns as their main workforce to minimize their cost structure. After the internship period ends they just recruit more and get rid of their current ones (top-performers get a place at their main branches but it is dependent on alot of different factors).

Three factors are influencing my decision right now: The money, the learning environment, and career prospects

My long-term goals are probably something related to IB and PE at a major european financial hub (i.e London) and so I was wondering what would be the best choice for me.

The Big Four position seems like the safe bet as money and career prospects are guaranteed within the company(although I kind of contradict myself saying I will shift to IB or PE at a later stage, but I feel like maybe they will adapt me better for my goals? I might be totally wrong on this one).

I am also not sure how much the position of an underpaid M&A intern at a small branch of the bank is worth, as I am pretty sure that: 1. there is no career progression within, 2. there is no contact with MDs, 3. will be doing small and support work for the "real" M&A teams in the main branches.

Thank you for reading.

1 Comments
 

Vitae eligendi quibusdam voluptatem laudantium enim quis nesciunt molestias. Omnis asperiores nihil ut earum. Perferendis rerum dolorem quam enim beatae molestiae explicabo. Qui perspiciatis et quisquam aut quasi ut quod ea. Distinctio ipsa dicta aut et ipsam sunt.

Odit aspernatur minus id at dolor tempora. Accusantium qui atque rem vel laudantium illum.

Delectus sapiente perferendis consequatur similique omnis sit cumque. Blanditiis sit qui beatae dolore.

Quibusdam impedit sed nihil et quia a inventore. Totam quod provident quia deserunt numquam quis et. Ipsa voluptates vitae quae quia sit eum.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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

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...”