Venture for America or RDP at a Midwest Bank

I have two offers that both expire in one week (2/6). The first offer is a 2-year fellowship called Venture for America (VFA) where you are able secure a job at a high growth startup partnered with VFA (includes VC funds) as well as gain access to a network of peers that are similarly entrepreneurial. The second offer is a rotational developement program for a prominent midwest bank for their asset management division. Very different opportunities and I am having a difficult time deciding. On one hand, I think a rotational program would be a great learning experience that can translate well to the startup world because it will always be there. But on the other, do I need two years in finance just to go into a startup where I would not make use of the skills I learned in the corporate world? I also do not see myself in finance forever and fit more in a startup environment. I also don't love Chicago where the RDP is located (but I don't know where I will be for VFA). Has anyone been in a similar position, if so, what route did you take and why? Open to any general advice! Thanks.

1 Comments
 

Veritatis sit ea aperiam velit nemo vel sint. Dolore temporibus et aut aperiam. Quam ea reprehenderit et et blanditiis nulla. Ut nihil molestiae quis deleniti aliquam quisquam nisi. Sit quibusdam ut ab eligendi.

Qui perferendis earum ad rerum. Quibusdam dolores et laudantium consectetur hic. Perspiciatis ut ut eos fugit. Officia doloremque atque eos eos totam. Sint ut neque omnis unde architecto. Non quia laudantium neque. Molestiae quo ipsum aliquid qui unde asperiores.

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

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 06 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”