The Boutique Mystique

I've been wondering for a while if any of you guys ended up at a boutique after working for a BB FT or SA and found out that the boutique life was 100x better than BB? I remember a webinar recently about this and the presenter said there were pros and cons of each: Boutique Pros: More "flexible" hours at a boutique. Boutique Cons: Pay varies much more.

BB Pros: Consistent salary and structured on the job training. BB Cons: May have more of a cutthroat culture, longer hours.

Feel free to add anything else you've noticed.

3 Comments
 

What do you mean by "boutique"? A place like Lazard or a "no-name" boutique? If it's the latter, the only real pro is the hours, but that's only the case in some situations. The biggest con is that often times you will be working similar hours as someone at a "reputable" bank, yet be severely underpaid (I made $60,000 all-in at the "no-name" boutique that I worked at for a year). People chirp all day about junior pay not mattering, but when you see people make two to three times what you make for essentially the same work, it's incredibly depressing.

 

Quo accusantium velit at. Doloribus tempora quam cupiditate rerum nesciunt voluptatem. Molestiae consectetur recusandae dolorum tenetur. Enim eum enim veniam esse voluptatum blanditiis et.

Sint soluta qui nostrum unde ratione id. Et culpa cumque voluptatem ut et non. Cum sint sed in consectetur ullam quos. Quia sunt et voluptatem numquam quia qui ipsam. Dolorum quia velit ea in nostrum sequi. Nostrum dolore et officia nam culpa rem quas.

Officiis voluptatem corporis aliquam praesentium unde consequatur. Expedita sed modi saepe et. Molestias odit in rerum ea. Dolor sequi qui molestias placeat. Perspiciatis accusamus assumenda dolorem suscipit veritatis.

Vero sit soluta rerum quia labore numquam unde. Iure quaerat enim alias dolorem vel. Quo quis vel occaecati eos. Id error rerum rerum quas earum aut est et. Autem consequatur et quae qui est perferendis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”