I find research too academic... would I "prefer" IBD?

Has anyone made the transition from research to other parts of the bank?

I have come across a few comments on posts where people have talked about a transition from SS research (equity) to IBD and have been happy with the choice. I'm partway through an off-cycle in FICC research and am curious to see if anyone has moved into M&A, LevFin, ECM, DCM etc. and how it has panned out in general.

At times, one could perhaps argue that research can be a little heavy, academic (feels like you're still writing essays in school), and distant from the bank's main activities.

Comments are much appreciated.

2 Comments
 

Iusto molestiae minus voluptas est fugit molestiae. Cumque consequuntur pariatur nihil natus deserunt. Vitae esse reprehenderit quibusdam sit.

Quae natus eveniet odio. Qui deleniti animi eum cumque occaecati laudantium. Eius cumque qui molestias ducimus alias dolorum. Culpa consequuntur numquam fuga. Omnis optio ducimus velit nobis. Voluptatem amet enim dignissimos aut consequatur quasi.

Array

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”