Lateralling from a mid-market to a BB / EB

Hi,

How likely is it / what are the key obstacles to overcome when attempting to lateral from a good mid-market (think Lincoln International, William Blair etc.) to a BB / EB*? If anyone could provide advice on their own stories / what the best approach is for this kind of jump, it would be greatly appreciated.

*Jumping from Analyst 1/2 to an Analyst role at a BB / EB (don't mind taking a pay cut if the jump is worth it in the long-run).

14 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Remember that banking is banking and that the core fundamentals of the role doesn't really change from a place like Blair or Baird to an EB or Bulge. You need to make sure you're grounded in all banking processes and technicals but other than that, there isn't a big reason you should have to take a step back. Unless you're from a boutique which didn't offer a ton of M&A experience / modeling exp, you should definitely fight for a continuation of your role. If not, and you'll have to recognize this for yourself, offer up a step back and see it as a long term learning / exit opp experience. However, given the firms you mentioned, you'll likely be fine in terms of lateraling at your level but I want to stress, highly dependent on where you are lateraling to

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 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $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

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...”