Diversifying Your Background for B-School

I am currently working at an investment bank and will probably make the move over to a Fund of Funds. The company has told me that I would have great sell-side experience and with the buy-side experience I gain in FoF, I should be very well rounded and would differentiate myself from the regular IB to PE candidate for B-school. My question is what opportunities are there for someone like me after I complete my MBA, say at a top tier B-school (Chicago, Wharton, Northwestern, etc.)? Would I be stricken to Asset Management or would I still be competitive enough for Corporate Strategy/Business Development positions?

4 Comments
 
Best Response
Pat_BatemanI am currently working at an investment bank and will probably make the move over to a Fund of Funds. The company has told me that I would have great sell-side experience and with the buy-side experience I gain in FoF, I should be very well rounded and would differentiate myself from the regular IB to PE candidate for B-school.

How would FoF make you more competitive than traditional direct investing? If you are thinking about the story, it would go something like this:

Direct: We analyzed a company's financials, conducted due diligence, met with management, structured the deal, and "created value" by making the company better.

FoF: We got a prospectus from a fund, ran a fatal-flaw analysis, met with the fund manager a couple times and got a feel for strategy, briefly looked over portfolio company financials, invested money into the fund, and then we "set it and forget it".

Which one sounds more compelling to you?

______________________________ Freeze those knees, my chickadees!
 

Ruby Rhod, I didn't say that my route was more compelling than direct investing or that it was better. PE is obviously a better position, but what the recruiters told me is that there would be less people that have an IB/FoF background heading into B-school than people that have an IB/PE background, hence, I would differentiate myself and be a little different than the pack, not necessary more competitive. Are you insecure or something, man? I have many friends that go into PE from IB and I wish them the best and have a lot of respect for those guys, so just calm down.

Additionally, my question simply focused on exit opportunities, as I wanted to see what my options were since I wasn't going into PE.

 

Wasn't trying to be overly critical, I just wanted to convey the point that direct investing is perceived as more substantive, which could then put you at a disadvantage. Sorry if my tone came across like a tool.

______________________________ Freeze those knees, my chickadees!
 

Illo in alias id tempora et harum consequatur veniam. Eveniet molestiae autem ratione maxime asperiores. Ipsam voluptatibus consectetur quia quia consectetur. Corporis voluptas voluptas sint ipsam rerum porro fugit. Quia voluptate minima tempore placeat.

Pariatur ratione ipsum ipsam sint necessitatibus dolores sint. Nam commodi impedit ad aperiam. Sed sed incidunt fugiat rerum.

Deleniti sint officiis sed. In perferendis ducimus voluptas et. Aut provident totam neque corporis. Expedita eveniet harum quia ad. Ad consequatur officia magnam quae.

Molestias similique repudiandae ex rerum dolore recusandae. Explicabo excepturi eos et temporibus magnam.

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 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 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 (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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”