IBD Associate (TMT) vs Corp Dev Associate (Tech/Media)

tl;dr: Assessing career next steps. Pros / cons of IBD associate vs. Corp dev.

Like many of you, I've been following WSO over the years and am in need of some advice. I've done 3 years of banking and am now thinking about next steps for my career. I enjoy my job but I want some outside perspective on how to think about what my next move should be or if I should continue along my current path.

  1. Recently promoted to Associate @ TMT IBD ($250k all-in comp).
  2. Option to move into a Corporate Development role at a Tech / Media company ($150k comp).

(sidenote: Long term goal is to learn to find and execute new business opportunities. Haven't decided if i see myself as an operator or investor long-term, although i don't think these are mutually exclusive and would ideally like to do both in some capacity.)

thoughts?

9 Comments
 
Best Response

It is a well known brand (Think top 50 Media / Tech companies). I think the company is great, which is why it is an option I am strongly considering. Would be looking at new market opportunities, strategic partnerships and assessing potential M&A (I think seeing 1 deal per year is realistic)

My biggest concern is that I am unsure about what opportunities become available and what opportunities I lose by moving into CD at this stage in my career. in IBD, I am constantly interacting with clients, managing workflows, learning a lot. However, I don't get to make a real impact on operations or see our strategic advice follow through after a transaction occurs. Also, strategic advice in IB isn't often proprietary (usually the client comes to us with ideas and we would offer input about what is happening in the industry).

 

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