Boutique IB vs Big 4 Advisory for Corp Dev

Between a IBD role at well known regional boutique and a advisory role at PwC/EY - which one would you choose if you wanted to get into corporate strategy/development?

The regional boutique is focused on the industry I would like to do corp dev work in.

The 30K ish pay gap aside, how do these two opportunities compare?

Thanks for all the help.

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Best Response

I just started out in CF at a F50, so I don't know much - but I have noticed a few patterns over the past few months. Also, I don't work in Corp Dev, but Corp Dev falls under my organization.

1.) From what I have seen at my company, there is a lot of respect for Big4 companies in the Corp Fin organization. Most of the very senior guys have Big4 backgrounds.

2.)There is no "prestige" factor at work, at least in my company. You don't need to have to gone to HYP and done IB out of college. In fact the top guys in the division and company went to very ordinary college, but paid their dues. They took on tough foreign assignments and raised their hands to oversee a new project.

3.)I'll contradict myself and say that brand name matters in the sense that Big4 is a known quantity. The CFO/Head of Corp Dev know that Big4 guys have a certain level of training and ability.

4.) Don't be an idiot and don't take the THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLAR paycut. Please dont!

 

Thanks for the input. With regards to your experience - when your groups are interviewing prospective candidates do they prefer on over the other? My issue with the 30K pay difference is that I imagine there is a large difference in quality of life (work-life balance) between Big4 Advisory and IB. I am trying to see if the strenuous IB path is worth going through if corp dev is the eventual goal.

 

It is well-discussed on this website but it is definitely less recognizable than HLHZ/Piper and so on. They have closed several billion dollar deals in the past year and a half and have a very strong deal flow. Within their niche they are very well known. Thanks for the insight.

 

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