Investment Banking or Military Contractor

Two offers. Chicago BB (GS,JPM,MS) or top military contractor (Blackwater, Multi National United). 

Both offer interesting experiences. Not sure which to take, as they would make me live very different life's. 

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I worked at a few contracting firms like that. It’s constantly a race to the bottom pay wise since there are tons of bodies exiting the military for that kind of work. Less people are required on the ground for those types of roles each year as the US backs out of the area. Also, the pay scale varies depending on what you’re doing. Constellis had roles when I was last in Afghanistan paying as low as $65k for base security. Most people think of the close protection work they provide when you think of such firms, and the daily pay rate has fluctuated over the years from $500-700/day for that type of work. I enjoyed my time on contracts, but you should also consider things like SOFA agreements in places like in Iraq or Afghanistan. I think the BB is the way to go for more stability and better pay upside.

 
Funniest

2/10, Blackwater doesn't even exist anymore (it's "Academi" now). Also if I saw your resume and saw you'd worked at a PMC I'd literally ding you on the spot, no matter how impressive the rest of your experience is. 

 

Velit quia nesciunt neque corrupti corporis omnis qui. Non nulla quidem nesciunt veniam necessitatibus iure aliquam. Dignissimos quibusdam non cumque. Ex sunt qui voluptas. Autem dolores totam sit consequatur corrupti.

Nam dolorem delectus libero. Veritatis dolor necessitatibus optio tenetur. Quia eum libero expedita facere ut laborum cumque velit. In cupiditate enim totam cumque. Nam animi inventore natus tempora corporis. Sit laborum consequatur voluptas et voluptatem dolorem.

Iure facere dolorum nemo ut. Dicta qui aliquid enim non delectus. Debitis quia quia sit omnis architecto voluptas et.

Velit molestiae id ea sunt repellat quod. Laboriosam magni iste id dolore fugit similique. Voluptas soluta exercitationem reiciendis aut blanditiis quam rerum culpa.

Array

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 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 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (49) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • 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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”