When does IB vs MBB Prestige Differ?

Trying to find out at what point IB vs MBB prestige differs.

Here’s my opinion:

  1. PJT / EVR Restructuring / Qatalyst
  2. EVR / CVP M&A
  3. GS / MS / JPM (NYC) = MBB Tier 1 Location (NYC/SF/CHI/BOS)
  4. PJT / LAZ / MOE
  5. HL RX, PWP, Greenhill, Raine, Allen, BofA top groups = MBB Regional Offices
  6. Citi, Barclays, UBS, Guggenheim, Ducera, Jefferies = T2 Consulting NYC
17 Comments
 

For finance outcomes yeah but from a prestige standpoint I don’t think so. Always have equated top MBB to GS/MS/JP in terms of general prestige.

 

If we’re talking prestige outside of finance circles I agree but given that OP put PJT RSSG/EVR RX/Q as the top tier I would assume we’re talking prestige within finance circles.

 

Congrats on Bofa my guy. No one is taking hl rx and pwp over bofa. bofa=raine=ghl

 

Such a pointless ranking. From my time at MBB, I can guarantee you nobody really cares about prestige. Also not about IB/PE prestige. It is like this big thing where college students think other people would think it is super cool that people work at McKinsey / GS / BX but in reality - outside of college students - it is just not that big of a thing. 

I realized that 90-95% people don't really care a lot abt work and they don't think it is prestigious to work at a big bank or consulting firm. The other 5-10% hardos are surrounded by ppl with pedigree and thus also not be flabbergasted if you work at a top bank or consulting firm as essentially everybody in their bubble does.

 
Most Helpful

Literally who cares man if you want to do banking/PE/HF/be in finance do IB if you want to do consulting/strategy/corporate/startups do MBB. Literally no one is changing their entire job for the next 3 years for marginally more prestige.

 

I think this is also a very biased statement. Why even the need to compare both and then put down other peoples as being rejected from IB? 

For Europe I would say it is definitely the other way round, especially for business majors. Every dude (girls even more) who landed a MBB role could have easily landed an IB role (just go on Linkedin once and look at the profiles of e.g., MBB London, Paris, Munich). 

On the other hand you would also need to compare LIKE FOR LIKE - MBB is only a small subsegment of firms at the top so it is not fair to compare recruiting outcomes with the whole IB universe. If you compare GS/JPM/MS selectivity than it is likely as difficult to break in. It is much easier though to break in at a Citi/UBS/DB/Barclays/RTH/LAZ etc. than MBB.

 

Prestige will only get you so far in life. If you want to do finance, just do IB and/or straight into buyside (if that's your interest). If you want to do corporate strategy or corporate work, go into MBB. A lot of PE firms and PC shops simply do not hire consultants, and from my friends at shops that sometimes consider consultants : typically consultants have a bit of a higher bar to clear. If you strike out of any BB/EB, then sure go for MBB consulting if end goal is finance, but if you got an offer from BB/EB and want to stay in finance no reason to recruit for MBB. I think for career in finance even DB is better than MBB: just simply going to have more optionally across the board in terms of where you can go compared to MBB.

 

Oh hell yeah, this may be the first list the cross references top preftigious banks AND the top consulting firms???? Wow this is truly incredible, thank you very much so sharing such actionable and informative insights. 


This will make it so much easier to not boil the ocean when looking for and comparing resumes of the Alpha (both alpha personalities and alpha returns) Dogs. Now I can throw the resumes with lower ranked bank groups and consulting firms straight into the trash!

 

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