Boutique IB or IBD of Big 4

Dear community,

I am from Asia and have 2 offers - both IBD - 1 from a boutique IB and 1 from a Big 4 firm. My goal is to study MFin at MIT/Oxford/Cambridge in 2-3 years and go to BB IB/PE in US/UK/Asia.

The boutique IB has 10 offices around the globe, including NYC & London, although most are in Asia, so it's no name in US/UK. However, a quick google shows that people think decently of this IB, giving it a score of 4.5 on Glassdoor, so I guess the working environment won't be too shabby. The firm specializes in US$50-250 mn deals.

On this board, people do not view the Big 4 with high regard, however, in my case, at least it has a "brand" name on the resume, every recruiter/adcom knows Big 4 firms. In addition, having interned there (twice!), I know that I will be given a lot of training.

The boutique IB in my office has 2 analysts and 1 associate (plus analysts/associates in surrounding countries), so I doubt the firm has the resources... and I will have to be on my own a lot. More responsibilities - cool, but if I'm wrong I don't know if there will be anyone who will correct me...

1 Comments
 

Voluptatem magnam totam est neque ipsum. Error quisquam rem ut dolorum cupiditate est sapiente illo. Commodi dicta qui facilis et quibusdam. Voluptatem error omnis temporibus facere.

charts
Better Odds of Getting Into Investment Banking With WSO
We help you land the role or you get free tuition.

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 98.8%
  • 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 (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”