PWP vs Moelis vs Goldman Sachs

Fortunate have offers for all 3. Want to do rx specifically. Out of the three, I had really good experiences/connections with PWP and GS than moelis.I’m leaning toward PWP given rx/ culture but I’m not sure if I would be making a mistake given moelis rx and gs are also very coveted.

Edit: Jesus lol I'm just asking for a opinion whats with the MS. 

21 Comments
 

If you really want to do RX and enjoyed meeting the people at PWP more go with PWP. PWP RX is a strong group and you'll get good deal reps and have access to any buy-side opportunity you want from there. If you're open to traditional coverage banking, go with GS. Should note that RX group placement is far from a given at both PWP and Moelis.

 

Thank you. I have networked extensively for PWP rx and moelis rx team. But sounds good thank you for the input

 

Would strongly advise picking PWP starting out. Group isn't known but if you're set on RX this is your best option as you'll be here from the get go. I wouldn't recommend GS starting out unless you're set on lateraling into something GS has that the other two don't. Other cons of GS is the comp/work environment and high rate of layoffs. I've worked at GS and would recommend it for some but I don't see any pros of starting there. It's a great advantage to start in a place w/ a better culture where you'll have a shot to learn from seniors more and get a good ref if you choose alternative ops. Moelis is a good option as well but I don't have first hand experience but from friends would try to confirm your group specifically as some have very long work hours. All are solid brand names and I wouldn't worry about prestige as you have a connection at GS you could lean on if you need to later. Just my $0.02. Lmk if you have any Qs and would appreciate SBs. Good luck!

 

Thank you! Does the marginal name brand help Seems like PWP is pretty exit supportive(?) but have a lot of A2As as well. While moelis and gs have stronger/more consistent exits overall.

not interested in mfpe. hopefully can go straight to DD/credit funds

 

Moelis and PWP are very similar (PWP has a better culture however). Those 2 are pretty different from GS tho. GS carries the strongest name in all of finance and that’s undisputed, so if you want to leave finance, GS is the play. Moelis and PWP will have higher comp across junior levels. As you mentioned, those 2 will also deal will Rx and GS will not. Conversely, GS will do a lot of Capital Markets work and those 2 will not.

 

I'm very interested in RX though. It's worth doing GS over the chance to do rx?

 

Was curious the name brand is that significant over the opportunity to do RX? I understand goldman's name brand is huge but I felt like the ppl I interviewed were not as sharp as the other interview experiences.

 

Yes. You can name drop Goldman literally the entire rest of your career. It's a permanent resume boost. I would only say to pick Moelis/PWP if you really, really know you want RX and want to make a career out of it. It's a super niche area that's different than other types of banking - e.g. it's very heavy on legal documentation. 

Don't get me wrong - those are three great offers. Moelis is probably the stronger RX group, though it's close. I've worked with the NYC RX guys there and they seemed like good people (not as psycho as some Moelis people can be). But if you get into RX and realize it's not your thing, you're pigeon holed. Goldman sets you up with an absolute ton of versatility. Only you know where your head is at - I think it depends on how serious you are about wanting to do restructuring. If you're reading "Distressed Debt Investing" by the pool for kicks or reviewing bankruptcy case studies then sure. If you had a legal background (massively helpful for RX) then sure. But if it's more like you read the blurbs on what different groups do and it sounds interesting at a high level, preserve the versatility and take GS.

also ignore the MS you're getting for the OP. People are just being salty and jealous of your offers.

 

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