ECM where does it fit in?

Hi all,

I am new to WSO! I am hoping to learn a lot and I have also picked up some books to gain more in-depth knowledge of IB.

Currently, I am enrolled in a one-year traineeship at a universal bank in the Netherlands.

In this traineeship I have to do 3 different assignments within the bank (across retail, IB, business etc.).

For my second assignment both M&A and ECM were available. I got enrolled in ECM. To me ECM seems like the better choice because of my interest in stock markets and the work-life balance. Plus, I am more in it for the career instead of the exit opps. I will be involved in both origination as well as execution.

I saw that, at my bank, M&A was a part of "corporate finance Advisory", while ECM was part of "Markets" along with S&T and Research.

Though I was wondering: Isn't ECM also considered as corporate finance? And are ECM bankers also considered to be "Investment Bankers"?

2 Comments
 
Best Response

It's just a label that the bank puts on the group. Some banks have ECM/DCM under corporate finance while others have it under markets. You'll still be working in a private-side bubble and you'll still be working directly with corporate clients.

So yes, you're still an "investment banker" - you'll just have more exposure to the markets and maybe even the equity trading floor than a traditional banking coverage group.

 

Distinctio aliquid est dolores id. In aut numquam suscipit dolor qui ut est qui. Nihil occaecati rerum omnis non perferendis. Et sed sunt possimus modi placeat.

Atque consequatur accusantium architecto quam. Pariatur et unde quibusdam sed repellat nobis amet nostrum. Odio porro ex et. Est recusandae voluptatem est corrupti dolor nihil. Nemo porro facere ratione omnis excepturi quia.

Ducimus sit tenetur voluptatum maxime rerum sequi nihil. Vel adipisci nihil excepturi vitae. Vel eum dolore beatae ex et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”