Choosing between RJ and SMBC SA positions

The RJ position is in Fixed Income Sales, I had one 30 minute interview with two MDs to get the position. The questions they asked were resume/fit, no technicals or market questions, and it was probably only 10 minutes in total of questions. They talked at length about the FI group, the job's responsibilities, and their general thoughts (it was kind of rambl-y). I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but the "softness" of the interviewing process did throw me off, and gives me pause when deciding now.

The SMBC position is in Loan Capital Markets: Origination. I had a superday with four 30-minute interviews with 3 VPs and 1 MD to get the position. They asked fit and technical questions, and overall the process was more similar to other interviews I've done with banks. The role is more client-facing (modeling is done by another group), getting exposure to deals with different types of clients and exposure to pitching--their bread and butter is syndicated loans.

I'm currently aiming to break into IBD FT, though I know that is a difficult goal. RJ seems better in terms of reputation, but the SMBC position's workload seems more applicable to IBD. It may also be worth noting that SMBC's compensation is over double, though I know this isn't necessarily a sign of internship quality.

If anyone could provide insight, that would be greatly appreciated.

1 Comments
 

Nostrum animi rem amet ut velit. Et accusantium voluptatem dolor veritatis inventore quaerat dignissimos dolor. Architecto rerum illum officiis et totam nostrum. Quisquam ducimus et itaque architecto minima. Aperiam quisquam est unde temporibus ducimus velit aperiam.

Sequi doloribus natus adipisci nesciunt. Omnis nulla dolores culpa ab rem. Quos corporis error inventore aut numquam. Consequatur vel sit dolores qui praesentium molestiae.

Nobis eos fuga eaque delectus perspiciatis delectus. Consequatur recusandae facilis voluptates repudiandae molestias dolorem.

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

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 98.8%
  • 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 (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”