City/IB Culture: SF vs. Chi vs. NY

I am currently working in IB in one of the mentioned markets (SF, Chicago, NY) with interest in moving to another in the next year or so for the purpose of trying something new. What are the similarities/differences in work culture between cities and some of the biggest pros and cons of being in IB in each of them?

4 Comments
 

Speaking in generalities, sf is chiller in terms of hours and culture than nyc, but opportunities for advancement (both in the firm and externally) are limited by not being in the NYC HQ. The risk you always run in a satellite office is that there is a shuffling of senior ranks / group heads and the seniors in your office don’t have the same political capital as before, resulting in less A2A or Associate to VP opportunities.

 

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