Sophomore Summer: Lazard ER vs. Boutique IB

Hi Everyone,

I wil be recruiting for SA recruiting this fall as a junior and want to know what I should do this summer. It's either Lazard Equity Research or Boutique IB. I'm not sure if Lazard being a better brand name justifies not doing IB work at all.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks!

8 Comments
 
Best Response

Everyone on WSO says that boutique IBD is best vs non-IBD in terms of internships, but honestly, I disagree with this.

If it's a brand-name front office internship that's relevant to IBD (ER or PE/HF/AM investment roles; basically anything involving deals or financial analysis), I really think you should go with the brand name internship over some boutique working on sub $100 million deals.

 
kidflashEveryone on WSO says that boutique IBD is best vs non-IBD in terms of internships, but honestly, I disagree with this.

If it's a brand-name front office internship that's relevant to IBD (ER or PE/HF/AM investment roles; basically anything involving deals or financial analysis), I really think you should go with the brand name internship over some boutique working on sub $100 million deals.

i agree with this, especially since you are a sophomore take the LAZ ER

 

Disclaimer: I went the boutique IBD route my sophomore year, and, although I didn't have the option, if I did, I would have chosen an IBD-relevant FO position at a brand name company.

Also, my advice is only for sophomore year internships. For junior year SA, I'd be a bit more iffy.

 

Yes, this is a special case here.

LAZARD would look fantastic on your resume.

I'm sure you can even spin you resume to look like you got some IBD exposure considering LAZ is much more IBD focused than ER.

 

If this is the Lazard ER Retail mall rat internship where you just visit malls all day and write updates on certain stores, then don't do it. I have friends who did it, it's useless BS work and you won't learn anything.

But if this is an actual legit front office Lazard ER internship, then absolutely go for it

 

Sed perspiciatis veniam officiis. Voluptate vel exercitationem et atque aut necessitatibus sequi suscipit. Itaque rerum asperiores atque est facilis. Aperiam ea eos optio quibusdam. Eum atque odit minima quia veniam. Beatae atque ad dolore placeat aut. Iure et quas illo quod dolorum laboriosam qui.

Quibusdam aut similique laborum distinctio ipsum vitae nulla. Veniam suscipit ipsam nobis harum iure sit. A velit aliquid eveniet. Et recusandae ad quia. Rem officiis qui vel corrupti architecto dolor est. Magnam cum corrupti rerum earum.

Nam aut nemo iure. Quibusdam aperiam nihil non et sequi. Doloremque omnis quis neque est doloremque. Sunt nisi atque animi dolor. Molestiae rerum enim nobis aliquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”