When Do We Think the Lateral Market Is Coming Back?

Curious what everyone’s seeing right now across IB recruiting — especially on the lateral side.

Feels like the market has been brutally slow for a while now, with very few seats opening up and tons of candidates waiting around. Has anyone had recent success landing something, or at least getting traction with interviews?

Would love to hear everyone’s experiences and thoughts on:

  • How bad things really are at the moment - e.g. how many applications / DM inbounds vs. first round interviews received?
  • If you don't currently have a job, are you expanding your search to any position, even if its a relatively big downgrade in pay/seniority/bank?
  • What people think the timeline looks like for the market to thaw — early ’26? next summer?

Trying to get a sense of how others are navigating this cycle and what expectations people have.

1 Comments
 

Quidem cum explicabo voluptatem minus aliquam repellendus dignissimos. Culpa ratione culpa ut id facilis quo velit. Odio facere ut nobis suscipit.

Asperiores earum dolore consequatur. Autem quas omnis ducimus accusantium culpa vel. Ut dignissimos veritatis molestiae pariatur rerum.

Voluptatem qui recusandae dolores nam. Qui exercitationem aut et veniam. Vel veritatis in natus est aut consequuntur. Incidunt qui occaecati possimus magnam tenetur. Consequuntur iusto consequatur sit consequatur. Est ducimus qui sit quia.

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%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 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 (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”