“My mentoring session with Andre was extremely valuable and gave me the clarity and direction I needed at an important stage of my application journey. He was kind, approachable, and generous with his time, creating an atmosphere in which I felt comfortable sharing my experiences, asking questions, and discussing my doubts openly.
One of the most helpful aspects of our conversation was his guidance on how to organize and communicate my personal story. Andre helped me understand how to connect different experiences into a coherent narrative, identify the elements that matter most, and explain their significance more clearly. His perspective was fundamental in helping me see how to present my background with greater confidence, purpose, and authenticity.
I particularly appreciated his advice on what to avoid. He helped me recognize that including every detail does not necessarily make a story stronger, and that being selective can make a message much more effective. Our discussion gave me a clearer understanding of how to avoid unnecessary repetition, keep my narrative focused, and ensure that each part contributes something meaningful to the overall application.
Andre also provided valuable guidance on how to organize the application process itself. He helped me think more clearly about priorities, how to approach the different components, and how to make the work feel more manageable. Having a clearer structure has made a difference to my mindset: instead of seeing the applications as one overwhelming task, I now feel better equipped to approach them through specific, achievable steps.
Another important takeaway was his advice on how to use the coming days effectively. Our conversation helped me understand where to focus my energy, which tasks deserve immediate attention, and how to establish a realistic plan. I left the session with a stronger sense of direction and a better understanding of how to balance thoughtful preparation with consistent progress.
What made the experience positive was the combination of practical guidance and encouragement. Andre offered suggestions in a considerate and constructive way, helping me reflect on my choices while also making me feel supported. His kindness made it easier to engage honestly with the process and to see areas for improvement as opportunities to strengthen my applications.
Overall, this session was fundamental in helping me understand both what I want to communicate and how to move forward. I now have a clearer approach to telling my story, organizing my applications, avoiding common mistakes, and planning the next few days with intention.
I am very grateful for Andre’s support and for the care he brought to our conversation. His advice gave me useful tools, renewed confidence, and a more focused approach to the work ahead. I would highly recommend a session with him to anyone seeking thoughtful guidance, practical direction, and a supportive space to develop their application narrative. The session helped me turn uncertainty into a clearer plan, and I feel much more prepared to make the most of the time ahead and present my experiences in a meaningful and convincing way.”
Best value cities that have major IB stuff prolly Houston & Charlotte.
Would probably add Atlanta to that list too. Houston is pretty energy and power focused. Atlanta and Charlotte have a lot of options in terms of product/coverage at banks.
what's the tech IB scene in Charlotte?
I feel like Cleveland (KeyBank) beats every other city in terms of salary/COL
yea but it's fucking Cleveland
Would also add Richmond to this list
What banks have a good presence in Richmond?
Do you know if they are better than Miami, Boston, DC or even Chicago in terms of pay?
All of these shops pay the same as their NYC counterparts besides Key which pays like 5 or 10k less in base for Cleveland than NY. So yes, in Richmond, Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, or Tampa, you can make 200k+ as an An1.
Do you know if London compensation is better than in these cities?
It's similar comp but taxed at a higher rate I think
London is the worst of the worst:
- Lower base salaries and bonuses
- London is as expensive as NYC
- Higher tax rates
- Weakening currencies (either the GBP or the Euro are wet paper compared to the Dollar right now)
- Ugliest chicks in the world (overweight girls with fake tan and a ton of makeup)
- Full of British and Europeans
You can deduct $50K from IB Houston bc weather decreases the value so much. I’ve heard it called Asston!
Richmond, VA. Making 350K+ there, I'd imagine even people who like to splurge would have no problem saving a good chunk of their comp given the COL.
how much are we talking about?
Salaries within the financial industry in Switzerland are a joke compared to the US, especially factoring in COL. Salaries are basically in line with non-financial industries. All employers know thay there is little competition for workforce in this small country, hence no reason to pay big bucks. Add on top that lots of people globally would like to live here, and you get high supply of workforce for very few jobs.
Especially among younger folks it is not uncommon to leave Switzerland at least temporarily in order to make big money in US or even London.
Chicago comp matches NY for IB, PE, and Consulting, but COL is meaningfully less
Chicago currently probably has one of the best balances between finance opportunities and COL given that most BBs and some EBs have presence, but admittedly, it's on the decline and it's losing out to Dallas/Austin
What do you mean it's on the decline?
Chicago is absolutely not on the decline
Long term, Austin/Dallas are on a much worse trajectory for IB, PE, and consulting given the concentration firms there have on oil and gas
Lmao Chicago is not declining and net comp slaps compared to NY / SF / LA.
Source: Chicago resident since 2007
Reputable institutional advisory shops in Dallas: JPM C&R, HL. End of list.
Reputable institutional advisory shops in Austin: Westlake Securities?
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He’s talking about MD level comp
NYC salary = $2MM/year
Extra taxes = ($600,000)
Extra housing costs = ($15,000*12=$180,000)
NYC salary adjusted for Cleveland COL
= $2MM-$600,000-$180,000=$1,220,000
Cleveland salary =$1MM
Net NYC over Cleveland = $1,220,000-$1,000,00 = $220,000
The discount in Cleveland isn’t 30%, it’s at least 50% cheaper if not more. For context this building https://www.terminaltower.com is only a few blocks from Key and you can get a personal, newly renovated studio in an old luxury building at $1000/month. Amenities include a fully furnished gym. So not only is rent much cheaper, but the quality of what you can get is far better than what an analyst can get. Even on base salary you can pretty much do whatever you want whenever you want in CLE.
I’m not trying to shill for Cleveland or other MCOL cities I just want to point out that there is a drastic difference in “base comforts” (food, housing, gym, etc) that one can afford in CLE compared to NYC at the junior levels and while you’re correct that NYC offers higher upside that assumes one will get all the promotions, not get pushed out and not decide to move to a cushier role such as corp dev or corp strat a few years down the line. Getting to $2MM isn’t easy and requires a lot of variables to fall into place including analysts living in a shoebox (relative to places like CLE) with 0 amenities, unable to have their own car and living off of seamless just to have all their meals covered due to HCOL + student loan payments all while working 80+ hours a week. Compare that to CLE where a junior can live in a nice comfortable studio, order all the nutritious food they need to make it through the hours, make a big dent in their student loan payments and have a convenient gym in the same building all within a few minutes drive from work with no financial stress. For people who don’t mind a slower pace in life and aren’t trying to optimize their future comp to the dollar there’s a tangible reason why they would choose to work in a place like CLE for at least the first few years before they can really afford NYC (and have all loans paid off) even if the Key name means coming in at a less prestigious firm in NYC when they do make it in. Some may even choose to stay in CLE as COL factors into homes, kids school, etc. and the arts/culture/nightlife angle is largely irrelevant for families living in suburbs.
Dallas
So, trying to summarize all the data that have been posted above and answering my original question I think that the Ranking should be something like that (Based on long term compensation, CoL, taxes and ONLY ON COMMENTS):
1. NY/SF/LA
2. Chi/Boston/DC
3. Houst/Dallas
4. Charlotte/Atlanta
5. Richmond/Tampa
6. Cleveland
7..HK/Shenzhen/Singapore
8. London
9. Switzerland
(Places like Dubai, Frankfurt, Paris, Milano, Amsterdam, Sydney, Philadelphia left. Would appreciate any info about them)
Do you think this is accurate enough?
Houston COL is basically the same as Dallas, but Houst is a shithole by comparison
I've been to both and they're more similar then either cities want to admit. If you're from Houston you hate Dallas and think Houston's better and if you're from Dallas you hate Houston and think Dallas is better. Both are massive urban sprawl metros.
DC based banks or MM branches in the DC metro tend to pay the same as NYC. Though the cost of living and taxes are still high it's still better than NYC. You can get a ~500-600 SF studio or one bedroom in a luxury apartment building for like $2,500 versus $3,200 for the equivalent in NY.
But at least you still get a big city experience, if you're into that, which I feel that places like Charlotte & Atlanta somewhat lack.
But DC culture is based around politics 24/7 which can be draining for some.