How to lateral from lower-tier bank (think Credit Agricole, BMO, TD, KeyBank, Nomura)

New A2 in coverage at a lower-tier bank and wondering how easy it is to lateral to a mid/high tier BB or EB from roles within lower-prestige banks. Maybe I am browsing this site too much and giving too much attention to the opinions of WSO hardos, but I feel like my bank doesn't have enough prestige. For people that have gone through the lateral process, how much did networking matter? If I were to cold-apply to lateral positions, is there a decent chance of interview? For context, I have a pretty strong academic background (3.9 at semi-target) and had internships in PE and AM. Just feeling a little unsure if I'm going down a dead end

6 Comments
 

"my bank doesn't have enough prestige" 

if your self-worth is based on that then maybe that's where you're supposed to be!

 

Fair enough... I think more important to me than the prestige are the exit opportunities, the meaningfulness of the work (exposure to live deals), and the ability to learn a lot and become an expert in my area. Probably not a stretch to say that those things may correlate somewhat with prestige. 

 

I feel like most people sit at some average between sweatshop and super chill group, but closer to chill. Every junior tier networking event I've gone to, I've seen that the only people with hella deals are usually sweatshop guys and then mostly everyone else is like "maybe" on a live deal but haven't really closed anything lol, idk someone else chime in? I'm essentially saying unless you're at GS TMT or MS M&A, you aren't exactly getting a super heavy experience but rather just one or two live M&A deals closed, if you're lucky

 
Most Helpful

I lateraled from one of those firms and have met others on the street who have lateraled from the rest as analysts. I got interviews and offers at “prestigious” firms with a resume that had no closed deals. 3.7, non-target, LAC analyst. You literally just apply. Everyone overblows how competitive it is to lateral, it’s not. There really aren’t that many highly qualified (i.e have experience) people looking to lateral compared to people trying to break in and you have a huge leg up because you won’t be completely useless on day 1.

The day to day experience is 95% the same whether you’re at Key Bank or GS. You’re pitching, spreading comps, and aligning logos. 

 

In itaque assumenda vero repudiandae magni at. Facere consequatur culpa est quia qui harum placeat minima. Autem iste nihil accusamus libero cumque provident eum.

Ut culpa est asperiores illum repudiandae quisquam ut. Nobis harum eaque error suscipit non. Similique voluptas quae autem qui sint rerum nihil. Architecto quia nihil cumque consectetur tempora sed libero. Quis eum et perspiciatis et maxime dicta aut. Inventore praesentium qui dolorem explicabo sunt dolorem. Saepe atque et sapiente eos natus corrupti.

Cumque ipsum et expedita et necessitatibus odio blanditiis consectetur. Autem enim perferendis suscipit voluptas. Officiis ut ex et et sit. Ut maiores consequatur modi eius.

Neque eum veniam autem culpa est quo nobis. Delectus corrupti inventore animi sint molestias ut vitae. Animi temporibus dolorem iusto qui. Minima deleniti in omnis vero sed iusto. Omnis unde deleniti ullam ullam cupiditate.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”