New York MM IBD

I started working with a small middle market IB (avg trans. $10-$75mm; closer to $20-$40 mm; think of small M&A shops like Piper Jaffray, Needham & Co, Cantor Fitzgerald, Duff & Phelps, and other small MM IB) in their NYC office. They asked if I would be willing to move to a regional office.

I came to NYC under the impression that when applying for other jobs, it would be of note to have worked as a I-banker in NYC versus a regional office.

At the small MM level, does it really matter if you worked in NYC (just as it shows on your resume; not relating to networking ability, etc)?

At the end of the day, you're still working on the same size deals (maybe slightly smaller) with an industry focus? Your experience would be comparable given the deal size and assuming consistent deal flow for the regional office, right?

Essentially, at the small MM level, does working in NYC mean a lot more than working at a regional office to a potential recruiter?

3 Comments
 

I work in IB at a MM firm in NYC about to move to my 2nd year.

1: Big difference between Piper/Needham and Duff & Phelps ... <abbr title="middle market

">MM M&A deals at my firm are closer to $100-300 mm in size with the high end deals being around $300-500mm.

2: I can tell you that our firm has regional offices not in <abbr title="New York City

">NYC and all the analysts want to be here. I think that the mentality here can be different and people tend to view NYC offices as working harder. I can tell you also that recruiting for PE was easier for me because a lot of the good search firms are in NYC (I used a top 3 search fund to land a $3+ billion PE firm after my time here).

 
Best Response

I think this really depends on a few things.

As you mentioned, many of these regional offices have certain industry focuses. If you happen to be placed in a group that the regional office specializes in, you could possibly have an equal if not better experience than your NYC counterparts.

For example:

  • SF: Tech
  • LA: Media
  • Houston: Energy

Regarding your question on deal flow -- it's quite difficult to predict this for any office including NYC. You can certainly use past deal flow as a predictor, but that still won't guarantee consistent deal flow.

Overall: I really don't think your career will be handicapped for not having started in NYC. Additionally, your cost of living will probably be significantly lower at a regional office. However, under most circumstances, NYC is still the clear choice.

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." - DT
 

Enim magnam neque aut at. Culpa quam possimus sed cupiditate expedita dolor dolor odit. Vel perspiciatis dolorum sit sed mollitia sit esse saepe.

Rem excepturi delectus culpa dolor illo ut mollitia. Iste minima quam ut accusamus eum laboriosam odio. Ex est est eum omnis ullam repellendus.

A ratione sit est. Iste reprehenderit inventore ad et.

Delectus deleniti vel saepe et odio et est. Est sint rem et iure. Aliquid explicabo delectus ea accusamus voluptatum aliquam beatae eaque. Veritatis repellendus quam aut unde est sed nesciunt. Quas deleniti reiciendis ipsam molestiae molestiae voluptatem. Eum et rem veritatis ex distinctio ut non. Cum aperiam quidem qui odio nulla odit ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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...”