Advice on Post-IB Plans

Will be starting FT at a BB soon and have been giving some thought to exit opps. My end goal is to be at a LO AM / SM HF, but I'm stuck between PE/HF and see pros/cons for recruiting for each: 

PE:

More standardized process, arguably easier to prepare for and recruit into, good addendum to the resume for stability. Not in a great group though, so will primarily be shooting for MM (more likely) / UMM

HF: 

Arguably more difficult to get into (due to preference for MF PE candidates), could take much longer to recruit for (which makes scheduling interviews harder). On the plus side, I have a close friend working at a SM HF that is willingly to review my models/pitches / provide me with some contacts for the process 

I realize it's all subjective, but would appreciate any advice here as far as which route seems better 

1 Comments
 

Numquam iste in inventore veritatis tempore quo consequatur. Saepe numquam neque qui error. Totam aut illo molestiae at.

Quos explicabo quae ut nisi veniam. Adipisci ipsum et mollitia dolorum. Minima numquam itaque numquam fugiat.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”