Centerview vs GS
Curious to hear thoughts on Centerview vs GS. Which classic coverage groups would you take at GS over Centerview generalist M&A?
Trending Content - Investment Banking Forum
| +247 | UBS Tech MD hires Son (from no-name college) as an Intern | 45 | 1h |
| +163 | WTF IS THIS COMPETITON | 59 | 1h |
| +161 | Mayday, Mayday: Key UBS Leaders (Former Barclays MDs) Abandoning Ship | 28 | 2d |
| +117 | Is banking in the south more sustainable? | 27 | 5h |
| +91 | The Intern Starter Pack | 15 | 6h |
| +75 | Current State of the League Tables | 28 | 4h |
| +48 | Perella Weinberg to Cut 10% of Workforce, Including Partners | 31 | 16h |
| +44 | [Official] 2026 IB Analyst Bonus Megathread (with 2025 Consolidated Pay and Perks/Benefits) | 8 | 18h |
| +38 | UBS Groups Ranked by Future Outlook | 20 | 20h |
| +32 | PWP Layoffs????? | 18 | 3d |
Career Resources
None
Do u have a offer lmao?
TMT or FIG could be a toss-up depending on what you’re optimizing for. Otherwise, CVP.
I would take GS classics over any group at CVP. They’re not remotely the same lol. CVP had a good year and people are here trying to say they’re better than Goldman 😂
They aren’t better than Goldman but I will say if you want a career in high finance their name is definitely strong enough to go anywhere Goldman goes. Also, CVP has dramatically different culture, pay, and perks compared to GS. If I had an offer to both I would probably take CVP unless it was GS FIG or TMT
Literally just a quick look on LinkedIn will show you they barely place at MFs. They don’t bring you to the same place.
They’re arguably the one of the worst EBs (definitely behind Evercore/Lazard/Moelis)…. Keep in mind this is like saying the ugliest supermodel. So still a good firm nonetheless.
Choosing CVP over GS Classic is like choosing Wharton over Harvard. You need to be a short-term focused hardo to make such a decision.
this is dripping with unintentional irony - it's actually the complete opposite; a career at CVP is much more desirable than a bank whose very model is to churn analysts out to their clients, thereby incenting them to do very little for junior culture because hey, people come here to leave anyway. and you really think that people at CVP are hardos vs literally the Mecca of hardos at 200 West?
Take GS.
Doing GS instead of CVP won’t harm your outcomes in any way when you’re going through the on-cycle / buy side recruiting process (if that’s your goal..but might not be).
On the flip side, name dropping GS outside of the finance industry has much more pull than CVP (think: classic old management teams with limited IB knowledge, girls at LES bars, etc).
Heard CVP culture also sucks; they pay so highly yet people still leave because no wants to tolerate it…
Who tells girls at bars the actual name of your employer?
People who make their employer their identity.
Patrick Bateman does. He works on Wall Street. Pierce & Pierce.
I will wager everything I have that this dude doesn't work at either GS or CVP
CVP is still one of the last private partnerships where ownership is available to up and coming staff and you are compensated with upside (what GS once was). Maybe that changes if they go public but for now I would say take Centerview if ASO and take GS if analyst.
the objectively correct answer ^
(until CVP goes public in like 2026, already looks like they’re gearing up for it)
Why would they consider this at their size? Isn't the allure of the firm about staying private?
What basis does anyone here have for saying CVP will go public?
Willing to bet nobody saying that works there/has any real insight on CVP
I’d do anything to not work for DJ dipshit and his legion of prestige whores
no knocking the firm's creds / exits etc but I would also never work at GS unless I was certain I was leaving within a year to somewhere else. they can lay juniors off in the lobby, cut pay, make your life miserable / toxic, have a CEO more interested in his DJing gig and crushing shareholder value, but these simps will still queue up for them. definition of stockholm syndrome.
Guys, thoughts on Pershing Square vs Elliott? Need to know more on culture, comp, wlb - thanks!
You have to become a registered Democrat to be hired at CVP.
They literally just hired a republican war criminal as partner. Brain dead take
Congrats on CVP!
I worked at GS and went A2A before punching out to an EB as an ASO2. I would take Centerview if you know for sure you want to stay in banking long-term, but if you’re unsure or definitely want to do PE, GS classic placements (not product groups) are second to none and would go that route. If you do banking at GS and decide you want to keep doing banking long term, the pay difference between associates at GS vs. boutiques becomes quite pronounced and is ~$100-150k per year depending on the level. That’s the point you should lateral to an EB, but if you do banking at GS, it’s sort of a self fulfilling prophecy that they’ll churn you and you’ll want to go to PE. Not tons of analysts at GS want to stay on. At the analyst level, you’ll make ~$20k more per year at CVP, but if you’re planning on leaving for PE or not sure about staying in banking long-term, GS brand is definitely worth it for a slight discount for a couple years at the analyst level. GS actually pays analysts pretty well compared to other banks but the ridiculous “GS discount” appears in the associate+ years.
in summary, if really excited about potential prospect of being a long term banker, I’d go CVP, if not, GS. CVP the best place to work long term, GS the best place to work short term and carry the name with you the rest of your career.
agreed. this is a very solid take. the GS brand is unmatched and carries tremendous weight in finance and beyond and is a stamp of approval. However, not everyone wants to go to a place like GS that churns analysts / a place where most analysts are eager to leave and or already have their next job lined up before they've hit the desk. (Worth noting though that the Centerview name is extremely strong in finance, basically IYKYK kind of thing) Also, in regard to the comment about pay disparity, the difference between GS and CVP is pretty striking even at the most junior level: 10k signing bonus vs 50k, mid bucket bonus last year was roughly 50k vs 100k (not exactly apples to apples because CVP pays bonuses in December). Plus, base pay is higher at CVP. Ultimately, after 1.5 years on the job it could come out to ~230k vs ~390k, which is definitely a significant difference. Many other factors to consider as well but wanted to elaborate on specific points
You bring up an interesting point that I’ve thought of in the past, and have discussed with friends.
My question to y’all: is the pay disparity worth forgoing the brand name of GS (or MS, JPM) and potentially closing off doors that otherwise would have been available by virtue of spending time at GS? Curious to hear thoughts on this.
Qui veniam rerum corrupti nisi odit error. Magnam dolorem est cupiditate non non. Earum eum et repellendus aut.
Quia error optio molestiae. Nihil repellat voluptas corporis sunt. Aliquam unde minima qui et nostrum qui inventore et. Explicabo laborum fugit quia dolores nesciunt aut incidunt alias.
Omnis aut vero quia possimus accusamus. Fugiat nostrum quis officiis.
Aut voluptate aspernatur id et. Ut qui perferendis minima perferendis accusantium est. Enim amet et porro voluptas ut molestias rerum eligendi. Odio possimus ut exercitationem sint id.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Enim voluptatem commodi ducimus accusamus modi. Voluptatum autem sapiente nesciunt autem. Odio facilis et voluptatem sed. Minima exercitationem magnam praesentium vel incidunt vel tenetur. Voluptatem vel autem necessitatibus doloribus veritatis sequi perspiciatis. Molestiae ipsum sit illum sunt repudiandae ipsam sequi.
Rem dolore dolores id dolorem et saepe animi. Est consequatur odit reprehenderit ut aspernatur nihil.
Ut quo libero est ut nemo. Aliquam et eum sint molestias quidem cumque aliquid. Quia omnis animi molestias. Et aut voluptas exercitationem laudantium aut earum enim. Optio occaecati optio iste optio in accusamus. Id aliquam maxime omnis et nisi. Odio est in id facere voluptatum aperiam itaque. Qui optio ut temporibus qui.
Ut quia dolore in repudiandae ut aut. Voluptatem esse esse odit fugit. Facilis qui aut eos excepturi minus.