IB M&A buyside vs sell side

Hi guys, just wanted to ask your thoughts / experiences regarding IB / M&A buy side vs sell side.

To clarify, by buy side I don't mean PE or such, I'm talking about when IB firms represent the investor / buyer. How would the work in IB buy side differ to the sell side?

Thing is I have been working in an IB shop that does mostly sell side, but now I might be looking at an opp to go to a shop who does mostly buy side, so I'm trying to get some perspectives on how the two might differ. In case there has already been discussion about this topic on an existing thread would you pls help point me to the link. Tks

( I already read the article on this from mergers & inquisitions. Trying to get more perspective)

2 Comments
 

Omnis quod nihil illum. Provident ex beatae voluptatem unde impedit impedit. Eveniet dolorum officia minima ipsam ut unde quaerat. Sit laudantium consequatur repellat. Ut reprehenderit possimus sed nesciunt consectetur doloremque rerum.

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...”