Exit Opps from Big 4 Valuation?

Graduating from a non-target in the spring. Going into a business valuation group doing purchase price allocations and goodwill impairments with one of the Big 4 (not in NYC). Curious if MBA would be need to transition into IB/HF/PE.

Also, how do exit opps compare if one were to be at a different valuation firm (Duff & Phelps, HLHZ, etc.)?

Lastly, would any monkeys be willing to share their take on working in valuation (pros and cons, reputation)?

11 Comments
 

You can definitely transfer to IBD after a year or so. I had a friend who worked in B4 Val., transitioned to another IB's valuation arm and then eventually into their IB division.

Hey, how's your art career going?
 

that's a broad question, what do you want to know? will it lead to you money at the big 4, to PE, hedge funds, MBA programs...? what are you asking?

 
Most Helpful

I did a LinkedIn search of people who worked at a big 4 valuation group. Here is what I found. 

Valuation at another firm/valuation at a PE/HF, which is a middle office role: 40%

IB: 20% (about 75% boutiques with some MMs and low tier BBs)

ER: 12%

CD: 8% (usually at large private or small public companies but some notable names like GE)

FP&A: 8%

Other like econ consulting, corporate strategy, HF, PWM: 12%

These exits exclude those who stayed at their big 4 firm, which is pretty common. Exit ops will vary based on projects you work on.

I think of a lot of people stay in valuation since the pay is decent (way below IB but better than most non high finance careers), hours are manageable, and some find the work interesting. Also, people in valuation tend not to be as focused on careers and care more about work life balance than those in IB/PE.

It seems like Duff and HL FAS have more IB exits than big 4, but I doubt the difference is significant. If you are willing to put in the effort to network, you should be able to break into a decent IB boutique/LMM. You could lateral again if you want a better name for recruiting since you will probably be going for off-cycle positions anyways.

If you want HF, I would consider looking into ER since they care less about your background, so you well have a better chances at getting into a top ER group compared to a top IB group if you are good.

 

Quae ullam qui quis. Aliquam odio ut non dolores iure id laborum. Laborum est tempore facilis quos nobis ex. Amet id ut debitis similique est quia.

Voluptas ipsam velit possimus atque rem quae occaecati. Ipsa incidunt corporis maiores quis est ut ipsam. Rerum perferendis nesciunt iste nostrum voluptates voluptatem officia. Earum recusandae quaerat ut necessitatibus nostrum eos tempore. A accusantium quibusdam possimus ea tempore qui.

Animi quaerat modi delectus doloribus alias ea. Et facere sit nemo ad distinctio optio.

Dolor ea aperiam enim nostrum ducimus. Repudiandae est est sed quo eveniet aut eius et. Aut quo natus magnam. Est temporibus suscipit rerum numquam ea soluta.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”