got a job at a top institutional broker dealer?

Hey everyone,

I need a bit of advice regarding my situation:

I graduated from a target school, majored in two hard science majors, I interned at a BB in S&T last summer but didn't get an offer (headcount issues), market was really bad and hardly no one came to my school for S&T recruiting in the fall, subsequently despite being very competitive the only offer I had was for middle office at a BB... which I knew I would hate.

Fast forward to the spring I ended up with an offer to work as a "Institutional Sales & Trading" analyst at a subsidiary of a large BB - keep in mind the subsidiary is purely a broker dealer. The position is a one year rotational program - I would get to sit on different desks (energy, metals, options, cash, etc). I accepted the job offer because this was still front office, even though it wasn't at a BB, it was at their subsidiary (but it is run independently of the BB) . Plus, a job is better than no job.

Now that I've accepted however I am starting to get "second thoughts". I realized I didn't research enough on broker dealers (exit opps, career paths, etc) as I should have. I did a bit of research on WSO on broker dealers but I still have a few questions:

1) How will a sales trader at a broker dealer fare in terms of salary and exit opps compared to a sales guy at a bank?

2) Is it possible to go to a good b-school (top 10) having worked at a broker dealer instead of a BB? I'm very worried about this because having interned at a BB, I know I can get interviews anywhere after. I'm afraid after working at a broker dealer; I won't be able to get out if I decide this career isn't for me. I also don't want to go to a crappy b school after then having to deal with crappy recruiting.

3) After 2-3 years is it possible to switch to a sales desk at a BB?

4) Anyone know in light of the new regulations, where is sales at a BB headed? Where is say a sales trader at broker dealer going? Am I better off in a BB?

Ultimately I'm trying to decide if I should I continue looking for a job in S&T at a BB.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

3 Comments
 

wait...aren't all of the S&T arms of bank technically "broker-dealers"?

"Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them." - Bud Fox

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”