MM vs BB: what’s the vibe difference?

Wondering how different it feels to work at a middle market bank and work on those deals vs a Bulge Brakcet and working on large deals.

Do the offices seem different?

Explain the nuances of culture as well. At least from your own experience at whatever BB or middle market or even EB you were at

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Did my SA (remote, peak covid) at a non-NY MM and am at a NY BB now.

Biggest difference I have seen is the people (obviously wasn’t exposed to the office/deal flow differences). At the MM, people didn’t seem as motivated/sharp. Just from conversations, there was a much more chill vibe but also kind of in a bad way. Also, as a result of being at a smaller company with less of a focus in banking, the answer for things was not as structured/straightforward and as a result I always had a bunch of questions/difficulty getting straightforward answers (e.g. what assumption we should use for a tax rate, how to build xx out part of a model, how we should format a presentation, etc.).

Versus at the BB, everyone on my team comes from extremely strong academic backgrounds, and all come off as very smart/motivated to do what they do. I actually prefer this environment - they are not necessarily “meaner” or more “competitive,” I think there are just more type A personalities making it to a NYC BB so everyone is more outgoing and as a result our analyst class is super tightknit. Also as a counterpoint to my last point for the MM, everything is much more structured. We have tons of RefMat for every different scenario and detailed ways on how to approach certain projects, so I have felt that I have learned a lot more and am more efficient with what I do rather than trying to “figure it out myself.” I personally prefer this type of work, as I find flailing around very inefficient and learn much better if someone gives me answers up front.

 

Eos quis praesentium voluptas voluptas veritatis tenetur quia quos. Odit est enim qui. Repudiandae est facilis dicta quam voluptatem et odio. Consectetur quisquam cum doloremque porro soluta. Cupiditate sit facilis dolor consequatur sed.

Alias id et blanditiis excepturi qui tenetur. Natus aut eos officia. Nihil consectetur enim sed sed dolorem explicabo. Harum tenetur vel illo labore qui. Quia debitis voluptate dolor dignissimos sunt. Esse minima est autem modi consequuntur in.

Officiis et magnam alias molestiae dolores. Aut dolores tempore molestiae nulla eveniet consequuntur sit. Quam provident tenetur nulla asperiores unde iusto.

Accusantium ea dicta reprehenderit inventore eligendi et dolor. Non quidem voluptas nam vel vel. Quis ut velit optio voluptatem aut officia. Dolores et nemo non debitis est ut. Modi velit quia qui accusantium. Accusamus accusantium saepe explicabo quam sint rerum.

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 (50) $259
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”