Moelis LA vs Moelis NY. How do they compare in terms of exit opps and career projection? What would you choose?
Hi, I will soon be joining Moelis in a second tier banking city in the US as first year analyst. The company is pretty good at letting you transfer and I plan on applying for either NYC or LA. Do you have any advice on which city would be better given my ambition to join a hedge fund. I know people say that Moelis LA gives you better exit opps but is that true only for PE or is it true for HFs as well? I have a hard time understanding how being so far from Wall Street could help position me for a career to become a PM at a hedge fund. Also, are you aware of any other difference between the offices? Does the amount of working hours change? Is compensation the same despite LA’s lower cost of living? Assuming I do not succeed in moving to th buyside as an analyst, which city is better for an associate still looking to join the buyside?If you were in my shoes, what would you choose and why?
From talking to current analysts in both offices, Moelis LA has about 9 analysts per class and NY has about 40 so totally different sized offices and the culture of each reflects that. From what I know, the LA office is pretty laid back and casual (some analysts wear polos and jeans every day and some try to surf early mornings) but obviously everybody works hard and everybody is busy. NY it sounds like is a bit more buttoned up and has more of a traditional banking culture.
Surfing before work? Damm it's time to make the shift to the west coast...