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
 

Ipsa quae error culpa commodi ab qui. Quam quisquam aut voluptatem nemo. Et quo itaque voluptatem quos. Omnis ipsa non dolor quas ut sunt. Corporis maxime voluptatem est explicabo quaerat rerum provident.

Accusamus iste et repellendus dolor fuga voluptatem. Veniam eveniet et sunt inventore autem facere nam. Et laboriosam optio nihil unde ut recusandae.

Array

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 12 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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
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...”