Thinking of switching from IB to a boutique firm

I'm currently a first year associate at a big four bank working in real estate. My team relies alot on juniors, and VPs on the team are unreliable and often pawn their work off to juniors. Everyone on the team has gone to our MD about this, and they refuse to do anything and infact have promoted people despite the feedback. I'm thinking of leaving to a boutique real estate team started only a few years ago, and I'm excited with the idea of being a driver in a company rather than a cog in the machine. Does anyone have any advice on how to determine if I should go that route? I love the security I have at my job, but I think that because of it no one ever gets fired for being incapable and I want a job where everyone can contribute. 

2 Comments
 

Can advise a little bit as I work at a boutique with similar characteristics as you mentioned, but I’m an Analyst so take it how you want. I can say first-hand that it’s really fulfilling being part of a team where you’re actually driving the firms growth as a “junior” and have a lot of autonomy over your work. The whole concept of a “cog in the machine” really resonated with me and it’s not necessarily that I actively hated it but it’s more of a “grass is a lot greener” in that respect kind of thing. The environment I feel has a lot of pressure but that’s the trade-off you get with more responsibility.

If the comp can be the same with bonus, i think it could be a great thing since you’re craving some of the things that boutiques would definitely provide.

 

Eaque maxime et accusamus autem in enim. Id qui et nemo esse suscipit velit. Dolores pariatur non voluptas dignissimos animi.

Quod impedit illo minus ex beatae vitae aut. Nostrum quia quos eos qui animi velit sunt. Et modi voluptatem voluptas facilis ut modi fugit. Temporibus dolorem dolores architecto voluptatum rerum necessitatibus ut. Laudantium et et qui ducimus reprehenderit quis libero. Laborum soluta neque est commodi veritatis qui.

Placeat dolor temporibus et ex ea veritatis rem tempore. Molestiae sunt ea consectetur adipisci ut et.

Dicta illum consectetur temporibus. Consectetur natus dicta doloribus qui voluptates. Sint facere nam dolore non nemo ipsum. Autem recusandae tenetur unde dicta dolorum minus. Quia ea iusto officia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • 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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”