Regional IB offices

I am an analyst at a bank in a regional, but sizable, office (think 10-15 analysts).

Here are some answers:

• Return offer rate: Ideally, we offer between 4 and 5 of the 6 interns
• Hours: Not as bad, but it depends on the group / month / week
• Pay: Base is the same, bonus is marginally lower. This is offset by lower cost of living.
• PE Recruiting: This depends on where you want to end up. It is harder to break into NY due to travel alone. That being said, you are better positioned for regional PE. I just accepted my buyside offer for the city that I am located in. Compared to other candidates, it was easier for me to sell the fact that I wanted to live in the regional city I am in. This was an advantage for me.

-Training: Same as main offices. We go to NYC for a month or so.

-Other considerations: How easy is it to have a car in your regional city? Maybe you can be more active on the weekends because of this. Do you care about working / living in a "finance culture". I don't, but some like it, some hate it. Do you have friends in the regional city? If not, you should be comfortable going out of your way to make them.