Lincoln VOG vs. DADCO IB

Got a standing offer from Lincoln VOG for their SF office. Have superday offers from DADCO IB in Portland and Kroll Valuations in Seattle. Might begin interview process for FT Partners as well. Honestly pretty exhausted from recruiting and thinking of declining the superdays and taking the offer from Lincoln. Strong interests in doing IB and PE, and want to make it out to a big city. Do any options beat out Lincoln Portfolio Vals? Or is it reasonable to decline them for Lincoln VOG?

11 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to consider:

  1. Lincoln VOG (Valuations & Opinions Group): Lincoln International is highly rated on WSO for professional growth opportunities (99.6%) and overall employee satisfaction (99.1%). Their SF office is in a major financial hub, which aligns with your goal of working in a big city. While VOG is not traditional IB, it offers strong exposure to valuation work, which can be a stepping stone to PE if you network effectively and position yourself well.

  2. DADCO IB in Portland: While DADCO IB offers direct investment banking experience, Portland is not a major financial hub. If your long-term goal is PE or transitioning to a larger city, this could be a limiting factor. However, if the deal flow and exit opportunities are strong, it might still be worth considering.

  3. Kroll Valuations in Seattle: Kroll is well-known for its valuation expertise, but it’s not traditional IB. Seattle is a growing city, but it doesn’t have the same financial ecosystem as SF. If your goal is IB and PE, this might not be the best fit unless you’re particularly drawn to the valuation side.

  4. FT Partners: If you’re considering starting the interview process with FT Partners, keep in mind that they are highly regarded in the fintech space. If fintech IB interests you, this could be a strong contender. However, the process could be time-consuming, and there’s no guarantee of an offer.

Key Considerations:

  • Location: Lincoln VOG in SF aligns with your goal of being in a big city with strong financial opportunities.
  • Career Path: If IB and PE are your ultimate goals, DADCO IB might offer more direct experience, but Lincoln VOG could still be a strong stepping stone if you leverage the role effectively.
  • Exhaustion: If you’re feeling burnt out, accepting the Lincoln offer could provide relief and allow you to focus on excelling in your role rather than continuing the recruiting grind.

Recommendation:

If you value being in a major financial hub and are okay with starting in a valuations role, Lincoln VOG in SF is a solid choice. However, if you’re set on traditional IB experience, consider attending the DADCO IB superday. Declining the Kroll superday seems reasonable given your goals, and only pursue FT Partners if fintech IB is a strong interest and you have the energy to continue recruiting.

Ultimately, Lincoln VOG is a reasonable and strong option, especially if you’re ready to wrap up recruiting and focus on your career.

Sources: Lincoln International interview process, Accepted an offer in IB but debating on going to another bank's Superday for Commercial Banking, Anyone ever went to a job interview where the recruiter had already made up their mind beforehand to reject you? And time wasted, Is it alright to request for a few days to consider when receiving an offer?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

I have a Kroll valuation analyst interview coming up. I was wondering if you could give me some insight on what the interviews were like? They told me it would be about 2 hours.

 
Most Helpful

Don’t waste your time with Kroll. Lincoln is a better Val shop and pays miles better. If you’re looking to do PE, the PV team at Lincoln supposedly places decently into small shops. However, with the PV team’s main focus being credit valuation, private credit seems to be a more common exit. The transaction ops side of the VOG places better into PE given the nature of the work.

 

That's what I was thinking. Just wasn't sure of the exit opps with Lincoln PV. Private credit does make sense though. Thanks!

 

Would sign Lincoln and cancel your superdays. Interview for FTP if you get it.

 

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