Enter IB post-MBA or not?

Hey everyone, 

Huge thanks to the entire community. I've really enjoyed coming online and hearing about everyone's experiences - really seems like so many of you know the name of the game. I'd be curious to hear from some folks in IB regarding a future career question. Currently working in strategic finance (sometimes regarded as corp dev) at a Series C startup. I've really enjoyed the work, team culture, WLB, etc. I was lucky enough to strike the role with no prior banking experience. I do have an interest in gaining transactional experience, so more traditional M&A corp dev or banking seems like a logical future progression. My question is how would you go about assessing the role of an MBA in my case? The appeal of a recruiting platform is one that I cannot understate, but, at the same time, is it necessary? Given my current work experience, is it more pragmatic to look to lateral to a corp dev team / break into IB without getting an MBA? For context, I was pre-med through UG and made a late transition so still very new to understanding the layout of what doors open under what circumstances. If it helps, I definitely have an industry focus in HC. Would love to hear thoughts and opinions on how to go about weighing this decision. If an MBA is a go, I'd like to get that ball rolling sooner rather than later. 

Cheers! 

6 Comments
 

Thanks for the reply and that's a great point. Do you think from my background I should just try to wiggle through to like corp dev roles, for example? One of the biggest things about banking that is appealing is the range of exit opps, whereas I don't know if my current role potentially pigeon holes me or anything. Love to hear your thoughts if possible.

 

Deserunt repudiandae facilis voluptates eos. Voluptas assumenda doloremque ullam est atque sequi voluptate aut.

Occaecati illo itaque aspernatur porro molestiae excepturi. Velit qui esse saepe rerum magnam iste. Aut repellat ratione est est qui labore voluptate. Eius reprehenderit hic repellat dicta aspernatur. Distinctio cumque aperiam rerum sit iure inventore quaerat minus.

Voluptatem deserunt est quod pariatur. Voluptas quod et dolor nulla ex eum. Repudiandae ut provident doloremque sint dicta nisi perspiciatis. Et vitae asperiores minus ut sit. Culpa in provident esse non id hic aspernatur. Ab dolor architecto adipisci inventore sunt et. Quasi a voluptatem est.

Nam veritatis vel ut officiis ut ducimus nulla. Adipisci ex maxime sint reiciendis quia sequi sunt. Expedita ipsum provident commodi perferendis magni. Est officia ea et harum labore pariatur explicabo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 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

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”