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I'm very biased but I see Barc/CS/Citi/BAML tier of banks as a material step up from WF/RBC. RBC at least views investment banking as somewhat core to its business strategy. WF absolutely does not. Again this is one data point and you could lateral, depending on group placement and your performance. However you never really know what the future holds.

Also, your PE recruiting will be over in 6 months for many people, so you would have to do it before lateraling, which defeats the purpose in my opinion...

 

I'm a year behind you in this circumstance (1st year MBA) so take this for what you will. I took the first summer offer that was given to me out of undergrad for sales and trading and declined further interviews as well as FT interviews. Looking back, I really wish I didn't. They were "better" firms which may have yielded better results with b school applications. I know you're at a later point though. This year I had an offer at a BB that refused to give me more time to decide which sucked because I had an EB super coming up that I was confident about. I verbally accepted the BB and reneged when I got the EB offer. The junior people at the BB I know totally understood, some of the seniors probably hate me but will forget my name if they haven't already.

I am a small data point and certainly not an expert on this. I just didn't want to be left wondering again like I was out of undergrad. BB gave me ~3 days to accept in late Dec since they knew EB was coming up for us the first week of Jan. There is also something to be said about enjoying the people that you work with and fitting in. I wasn't really concerned about that since I haven't even started yet. 

 

If you want to go to Barclays, go. Unlikely Barclays will care that you reneged. The other bank will likely care, but unlikely they will do much about it. I've seen MDs in charge of hiring shrug when someone renegs for another bank. They don't always get pissed off/take it personally. Definitely don't say where you are going when you reneg and wait until you start to write the bloviated LinkedIn post about your new career. 

 

repeat this phrase whenever asked about other firms

"i'm going thru the interview process with other firms...but that's all i'll say on the subject"

this is like pleading the 5th...either you fully plead the 5th, or you waive the right to plead the 5th....you can't "partially" plead the 5th.  So, its better if you never provide any detail about interviewing with other firms...never say who gave you an offer.etc...because then you may be asked to asnwer a question you don't want to.

this is called "thinking ahead"

just google it...you're welcome
 

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