Lateraling via MS PubFin vs KeyBanc IB vs Health Boutique

I was fortunate to receive a summer analyst offer at KeyBanc's tech group. However, I also received an offer for MS public finance. My long-term goal is IB, and I'm wondering if it would be better to go to MS and try lateraling internally/to another BB down the road? I'm weighing the name of MS and close tangency of PubFin to IB vs the direct IB connection at Key.

Would greatly appreciate your insight! Good luck to everyone.

17 Comments
 

I think that it is a double edge sword.  MS may have better name, but Pubfin is going to be a harder sell.  Personally I would go Keybanc.  

PubFin is a little bit of a different world than the average DCM team.  The way you win business and the relevancy of skills can be a little bit different and is a harder swing than if you are in a relevant coverage group. I would not risk getting pigeonholed for a few years just to try and get a good name.  Pick the sector you want to work on.   

I know this is a stretch but think about someone who picks Backoffice Goldman over other fields.  Name is not the determining factor, what you do is. 

EDIT:  how about someone replies instead of MSing me.  

 
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Lol I agree with some of your points, but comparing Public Finance to Back Office is ridiculous. Public Finance might be pretty niche, but it's still considered front office by any measure and there are a decent number of skills that you can learn there that would be transferrable to other IB offices in the future, albeit less than coming from a more traditional coverage/product group. OP, I don't know much about Keybanc, so don't take this as definitive advice, but Morgan Stanley's PubFin practice is top 3 in the league along with BAML/JPM, and being from one of those three banks' PF groups, I can guarantee you that you'll be able to lateral either internally or to another bank if that's what you want to do in the future.

 

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