Offer Choice: Boutique IB or Big 4 Financial Due Diligence

Hey guys title says it all. I'm a junior at a non-target looking at two summer internship offers in a tier-1 city. I'd like to preface this with being really fortunate to have two offers to choose from given the pandemic but I'm having trouble deciding since my ultimate goal is banking, preferably at a more reputable bank.

Big4 FDD: Seems to be much more accounting focused than I initially thought, relatively little modeling and would need to get CPA at some point (barely even like accounting so don't want to do this). On the other hand it is a much bigger brand name and arguably could open more doors in the future for full-time, but who knows. 

Boutique Bank: Received offer a few weeks ago, relatively small office (~20), comp and hours are presumably lower than street. Obviously much weaker brand name than Big 4 firm.

Personally don't really care about the internship comp (although the bank will be almost half of what I'd make at the Big4 firm), just focused on what will get me the most looks for full-time recruiting. I feel like the general advice is if it's in IB, take it as that's what you want, but I'm skeptical that a Big4 brand will get me less looks than a boutique bank although the bank will provide obvious modeling experience. Had a strong sophomore PE experience and have gone through ~8 superdays, with this being my first offer in months if that helps. Really appreciate any insight and advice. 

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...my ultimate goal is banking, preferably at a more reputable bank.

If your end goal is starting FT at a bigger bank, take the boutique offer over the BIG 4 FDD.

  1. The boutique will give you much more relevant experience and will prepare you much more than FDD at a Big 4...(Duh, banking will prepare you better for banking over FDD...)
  2. Big 4 names don't have as much weight as you think. Especially if you're not in valuation or the M&A arm. 
  3. A CPA is useless for banking
  4. Think about your current projectory and how it relates to your goal of starting FT: From PE sophomore year to boutique junior year to "BB" FT, or PE to Big 4 to "BB"??? Ft recruiting is already much harder than SA, and you'd be making it even harder for yourself. If I were interviewing you, I'd be thinking, "If this guy wants to do banking, why the heck did he go into a Big 4 FDD?

If you want to recruit FT for a better bank, please for the love of god take the boutique offer over the Big 4 FDD... 

"Markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent."
 

Appreciate that perspective +1 SB. Definitely something I needed to hear. Moving forward, I have a few internship opportunities for the winter that I was considering. a buy-side M&A shop, another PE gig, or becoming the interim CFO of a startup (sounds kinda ridiculous I know, but still an option and the business model is solid. I'd get some sort of minority stake in the company but not sure how firms would look at this on paper...). Any thoughts on these options given I'll take the boutique IB offer?

 

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