Should I go for IB or stay within my BB back office post grad?

Hi, 

I'm a 2nd semester senior at a non-target liberal arts school. 

I have an offer to return to a BB internal audit department. Right now, my resume has a private equity (at a search fund) internship, investment banking internship (boutique) and a BB internal audit internship.

I'm seeing traction to be placed in a IB boutique come Feb - March of this year. If I land an offer, at a no name IB regional boutique, and want to eventually work in bigger IB shop should I go and drop my BB internal audit job? Or should I focus on going back to the BB internal audit, start my career in a notable company, and see where life goes. I can try lateraling internally, or try and go get a MBA in a few years. Are there any routes I'm not seeing? Any suggestions on a game plan?

18 Comments
 

My brother in law told me to take the BB BO as there is never a guarantee that I will be able to switch to a better shop. He said that I may be stuck in the boutiques for the rest of my life and it would be better to go with something that guarantees a career path. In the BB BO I can be a VP making 200+ in 4 years out from undergrad. 

 

Sure you could have the life in maybe 5 years, but do you really want that? BO work consists of menial bs that isn't really fulfilling. Not saying IBD is the end all - be all but you should take a chance on yourself and go for broke, especially at such a young age with really no opportunity cost. If IBD doesn't work out at a boutique, you can easily pick up another BO job, not the other way around. 

 

My cousin worked at internal audit at a BB as well, he hates it boring work, he eventually moved to the big 4 and that’s mostly the exit option you will get if you stay at internal audit

 

Yea man, I don't know what bank you're at with this IA program, but I can guarantee you that no one there is making 200K after four years. I know that executive directors make 250K~ in IA so, I'd say VPs may be scrapping at 180-200K. Again, echoing above, I'd say 5.5 years is the expectation you should have for reaching VP. 

 

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