Worth making the jump to IB?

I work in Big 4 in London, mainly in FDD, with some exposure to M&A and light strategy work. Over the next few years, my focus is on learning and developing as much as possible. I’m not interested in PE or VC.

At my firm, there are likely opportunities to work more closely with the strategy team (e.g. CDD) and possibly do a secondment in New York, which I would love to do.

That said, I’ve recently been contacted by recruiters about moving into MM IB (e.g. Raymond James, Lincoln, etc.). A few years ago, IB was my goal, as I saw M&A as the pinnacle of finance.

This is where I’m conflicted. I’m genuinely happy where I am—the culture is strong, we work hard but weekends are rare, and very late nights are uncommon. The people I work with (including partners) are great, and the work is interesting.

My question is: will I regret not trying IB later on? If I eventually leave advisory, I see myself moving into corporate, and ultimately an NED role or the C-suite.

2 Comments
 

Neither RayJ nor Lincoln (??? had to google this one) will give you much M&A experience. Lincoln is an absolute nobody and likely focuses on advisory opinions and valuations not unlike what Big 4 does. RayJ has some niche sectors where they do okay but it’s still a largely a wealth management shop. You are probably not being recruited for IBD at either of these places unless they specifically said otherwise. It’s a pass bro

 

Voluptatibus doloribus sint consequatur ipsa. Consequatur corporis voluptatem quo commodi. Dolores quidem atque sed qui nesciunt.

Et commodi fugiat nisi voluptatem cum debitis eos. Soluta voluptates qui nihil magni placeat odit. Itaque vitae maiores perferendis aspernatur unde. Ab aliquam qui et vitae est molestiae et. Asperiores aut est blanditiis asperiores. Minima eveniet libero sunt repudiandae recusandae tenetur sint itaque. In repudiandae vitae vel sequi reprehenderit error ratione et.

Et enim dolorem qui ab natus est vel sint. Tenetur quia ea vitae omnis optio reiciendis.

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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”