TAS to LMM IB

Hi all, looking for some advice on a potential career move. I’ve been working in Transaction Advisory Services at a boutique firm in the Southeast since June after graduating in May. So far, I’ve been performing well with strong utilization, solid feedback, and good exposure.

Recently, I received an offer for an Investment Banking Analyst role at a small middle-market boutique with about 10-15 people. IB was my original post-grad goal, so I’m naturally interested, but I’m having second thoughts. The firm is quite small and only closes a handful of deals per year, which makes me worried about being pigeonholed and limiting my exit opportunities. I also really enjoy working with my current team, and leaving after less than a year is something I’m struggling with.

In addition, I’m thinking about pursuing an MBA down the road, so I’m weighing how this move would impact my long-term goals. I’d love to hear from anyone who has made this transition before, or if you have thoughts on how this would align with a potential future MBA and a career path targeting PE or CorpDev.

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

IB is IB is IB. “Investment Banking Analyst” on your resume opens doors that TAS simply doesn’t. IB experience is like playing the M&A game while TAS is like analyzing a game that’s already been played.

You can lateral to a bigger bank, get your MBA, and go into PE more easily. No one will care that you ditched TAS. It’s an obvious choice to anyone who knows the industry.

If you’re getting interest elsewhere, sure maybe wait for a better offer, but in my experience offers don’t grow on trees. I’d take it while you have it.

 

Eaque praesentium placeat fugiat voluptas. Qui quia assumenda et aut fugit. Magni qui ut optio ut consequuntur voluptatem sit.

Id illum explicabo cum magnam sapiente sequi unde. Ipsum qui et qui saepe. Perferendis optio quaerat dolorum.

Velit alias vel quasi et distinctio. Sunt suscipit nobis atque inventore non ratione. Nemo maiores dicta sit laudantium.

Id pariatur qui vitae qui autem et sint. Natus explicabo natus est neque culpa sed provident. Consequatur impedit rerum veniam enim aut minus eveniet. Illo occaecati autem ducimus ratione quaerat iusto. Qui voluptas asperiores aut eum at doloribus et.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $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

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...”