Should/Can I go back to IB?

Hey WSO,

CONTEXT: I've got 5 years of IB experience under my belt (intern to associate). I closed around 5-6 deals at a big international boutique, but they don't have much of a presence in the US. I have an MBA from a top-notch school (though not SHW) with honors.

After the MBA, I applied to Corp Fin/Corp Dev roles at high-growth startups. Things have gone pretty well—I've climbed the ranks from associate to manager to Head to VP at a company that went from Series A to Series C. The fixed comp's decent at 200k, plus some stock options. 1st-year options that could be worth a little something down the line already vested. I don't see this company going public nor another meaningful equity round, best case it will grow 2-3x and then get snatched up by a big player. So financially, it's time to say goodbye!

  • The management's a mixed bag—about 40% of 'em are great, the other 60% huge incompetents. I'm fortunate to be 'part of the club,' but I hate the culture. Everything moves at a snail's pace, it's a remote setup with folks lounging in sweatpants all day.

As I'm assessing my options...I can't help but think about going back to IB/Finance as long as the company, role and comp are right.

QUESTION: Do you think a return to IB is on the cards for me (aka should I/can I)? If so, what role / where (BB, EB, MM, etc.), and what kind of comp/hours should I be expecting? And what about VC or PE?

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I get what you saying but...
1) I'm in an exploratory phase here... I want to know what my options are. IB is something I enjoyed so why not put it on the list? If the good places only recruit MBA summer, or post MBA Associate I won't even bother... I've done my time as an Associate. 
2) It's not really about 'what is right for me'... I like to think I can make it work anywhere with the right incentives in place. 
Incentives are not right where I am. And I don't want to be (or work with/for) a couch potato in my prime years.
3) Personally, VC seems to make the most sense given my background but I will need to network my ass off, which is ok. I can do that if I think it is worth it.
PE, I think the lack of PE/buy side experience will stand in my way. 

In conclusion, I just want to hear what people who are closer to IB/PE/VC recruiting these days have to say. If they tell me to cross something from a list of options, it is already a win for me. 

lmky
 

Dolorem dignissimos earum commodi incidunt quis rerum. A impedit nesciunt temporibus recusandae reprehenderit consequatur.

Voluptatem soluta dignissimos et placeat. Quis minima pariatur ipsa sed quis. Cupiditate placeat ad adipisci ut.

Modi repudiandae hic sunt et molestias id voluptatibus aspernatur. Eligendi dolores consequatur non aut.

Deserunt cum eius placeat. Quos amet qui alias sequi. Laborum adipisci et voluptas voluptatem in. Quia ut dignissimos asperiores id. Aut modi placeat necessitatibus culpa veritatis quasi quia. Non sit eligendi qui quisquam qui quis.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • 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 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”