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Middle market boutique, without a doubt. Here are the 3 best reasons why:

  1. You'll receive a relatively standardized, and fairly general, education in the world of finance, which will be important for you come interviews for whatever you choose to do afterwards (whether that be buy-side or corporate). In these two other roles, who knows what you will be learning. Certainly, only you. But for anyone trying to hiring you post-banking, if you work in IB they'll at least have some idea of the skillset you've accrued based on the industry group that you'll be working in.

  2. Beginning in IB will keep many more doors open for you than beginning at a semiconductor company or a HF. It will enable you to keep those doors open for a corporate or buy-side exit, but you won't be pigeon-holed. If you start at the "new fund", you may find that it will significantly inhibit your movement to other funds that aren't larger. And you won't be able to go back into IB easily. Whereas, in IB, the doors stay open and you can gladly hop over to a leading HF or PE firm, provided you are qualified and make it through the interviews. If you go to the semiconductor company, god knows what career path you'll have. You could end up at another corporation, or at a PE/HF, but the path is much less clear and way riskier.

  3. Additionally, I think it is very important to recognize that the money that you'll be earning here will be a fraction of your overall income during your lifetime (ideally). Choosing the job at a semiconductor company that pays $15,000 more than the other two options purely because of that delta in pay would be a less than thoughtful decision. Theoretically, you'd want to choose the beginning job that has the largest amount of opportunity for you in the longer term, which I believe, and I am sure many others agree with me on this site, would be the middle-market boutique job. Even though bonuses may be cut this year, if you begin in IB you'll more than make up for it in the later years with whatever jobs that being the IB analyst now allows you to have in the future.

 

Questions:

  1. How reputable is the MM? It is often recognized as one of the names with people frequently lateraling to BB/EB or MM PE?
  2. Finance associate at semiconductor co - On top of base, how many shares / options are granted? Is it a graduate/rotational program? Is it one of the largest names and do they often send people to top MBA (in case of exit)?
  3. New fund - Is the founder well-known in the industry? What was his previous experience / track record? AUM, team size and strategy?

Think from these perspectives then you should have an answer for yourself. Let us know your logic and we can comment further

 

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