SA Offers: Baird vs. Lincoln vs. Harris Williams

All midwest locations. Looking to exit to a solid MM PE shop after 2-3 years. Please weigh in. I would appreciate any insight you're willing to share.

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Best Response

I would switch it up for MW offers and go 1. Baird 2. HW 3. Lincoln

HW weaker Midwest platform than the other two. Baird (I might change if this is a Milwaukee offer and not Chicago), but generally speaking they have superb MM PE placement as well as a pretty great culture (going off a few analysts I know and my interactions with people during the recruiting process). I think Lincoln is a bit worse off than the other 2 in terms of PE exits, and I think they may be more encouraging of a career banker type of path- that said, MM PE still very possible and definitely does happen quite often. My Milwaukee comment had more to do with not wanting to live in Milwaukee vs. necessarily worse exits from that office (though this could be slightly true, I am not sure).

Edit: Didn't realize HW was Minneapolis (for some reason thought they had a Chicago offer). Would probably put it tied with or below Lincoln given the location.

 
BTbanker

Were you at a Midwestern Target, because I've noticed you really know your shit about those banks?

Originally from the region and interviewed/did a good amount of research on all of these places when I was feeling strongly about returning home after school. Know less about HW than the other 2. Number of high school friends (who were at MW targets) ended up working at them as well, so I've been able to get perspectives from them. That and there seems to be someone asking about comparisons between the 3 (add Blair) very regularly on here.

 

Don't get carried away. MN MM IBs place well into MW MM funds and there are several up in Minneapolis. The downside is that the number of opportunities between MPLS and Chicago is obviously going to favor Chicago. The upside is that the analyst and associate levels are far less saturated in MPLS, so there are far fewer competitors.

HW also has placed a few into Corp Dev groups in the area, so depending on OPs preference, that could be also be a plus for HW. And a side comment is that HW out of MPLS covers some solid deals from KC to Green Bay.

Again, I picked the two Chicago firms first and spent many years in the Chicago area.

Just my two cents.

 

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