Citi or CS?
In your opinion which banks is better to work for/better exits/better reputation for IBD, CS or CITI?
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Depends on the group and your personal preference. Ultimately, you’ll do best and exit better in the group you enjoy most. Generally, it’s not a good idea to base your decision off which bank some bum on WSO thinks is more “prestigious.” Citi and CS are both great banks.
Citi is better, CS has better exits
Other than CS LevFin, Citi for sure imo
Citi
CS has better exits and is more highly regarded on the buyside. Also, given the history at CS, their alum base is stronger. Both are great shops though and are very comparable.
get an offer first
The person who asked... aka me... does have an offer you silly potato
There's top groups for both, and shitty groups for both. The top ones are comparable in terms of exits, and the shitty ones are equally shitty in terms of exits. Think about what group you would have the strongest connection to, whether it's an interviewer you had or alumni. But if you really had 0 clue whatsoever, greatest expected value would probably be Citi. CS has been on the downturn for a while now, and the European banks (except BarCap maybe) have been especially hit hard with the repercussions of the pandemic.
CS has historically been a stronger brand as far as IB goes. That is a pretty generic and overarching statement though, and I think there are a lot of finer points. I'd also be more comfortable being at a US bank vs. a European bank based on the way things have been going the last 5-7 years, though this shouldn't impact too much at analyst level.
Ultimately the marginal difference in the 2 banks is much less important as compared with the group you ultimately land in. Both of them have very strong groups, and if you can get into those groups, then it is far more important, so I would consider a few factors
How does the group selection process work at each of the banks? Specifically, if you have an IB offer, do they lump capital markets groups under IB or only coverage / M&A? JPM and GS put everything under IBD, so when you go through the group placement, you could land in an ECM / DCM group or GS TMT depending on how well you make an impression and how strong your network is. If you have no problem with ECM / DCM this doesn't make a difference, but it really depends on what your goals are. MS on the other hand does capital markets recruiting separately, so if you receive an IB offer, you are going to either be in industry coverage or M&A. I can't remember how it is done at Citi and CS.
What is the strength of your network / school's network at both of the banks. In my earlier example, the spots at GS TMT / FIG generally are filled up very quickly by individuals from a few schools who have good contacts in that group. Does your school have representation in the strong groups? If so, this can really help you place into those groups as well.