12 Comments
 

This shouldn't even be a consideration. The corporate job is the clear pick - IB doesn't even come close, and choosing to join the boutique will be a decision you will likely regret for a very long time. In addition, corporate development will likely place you in a better position for VC opportunities down the road than the advisory boutique would.

Do yourself a favor and forget prestige for a minute. Congrats on the amazing opportunity.

 
Best Response

Go corp dev if that's been your dream, and probably even if it isn't. If it's with a big company doing a lot of deals you'll be getting very good experience and it will be just as "prestigious": there's life beyond IB. And if a big company says they're going to train you, they will and you'll most likely develop more skills than you would in IB because you'll be doing more than a typical IB analyst will. You can go back and get an MBA and make a switch to PE or VC if it's needed. If you're working in tech you'll probably develop a good network of VC's selling to you (and they'll like your corp dev skills anyway) and if you're in something like industrials you'll build PE a network because you'll probably buy from PE firms at some point. If you're working for something like Proctor & Gamble you'll have a hard time breaking into a tech VC but that should be obvious. And regardless you'll get to know bankers because they'll want to be your best bud. Or you may just like what you're doing, there's a chance you could get them to sponsor you for an MBA and you may want to stay at the company for a long time and move up.

 

Keep in mind, it will be massively difficult to get up to speed in a quasi director role with no experience. You can do it, but expect it to be tougher than you ever expected. Deals are always churning and you will need to put in the time yourself more than anything (good work/life is years away still).

That said, if there are significant analysts/associates below you, jump on it. You can usually use them as a backstop for where you lack.

Ask yourself why a huge M&A hungry firm is hiring you with no experience for a director role, when 100s of top MBAs want it. It really doesn't smell right.

 

Refusing an amazing job because you're afraid you'll mess up is an incredibly short-sighted and foolish thing to do.

They will train you. When you join, they will guide you through decisions you're afraid to make. It sounds like they really like you, and they are likely to be extremely well connected. They will be valuable mentors for the rest of your life.

Worst case scenario, you mess up and decide this isn't for you. With this corp dev position on your resume you can probably get into whatever business school you want, and change your career trajectory then.

This is a no brainer. If you take the banking job, you will regret it.

 

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