Entry Level: REPE or Major Brokerage?

I’m a MSRED student at a decently-regarded state school set to graduate in December. I’ve been in talks with a handful of boutique developers and REPE shops as well as some national brokerages. I want to work in commercial real estate development but I’m not sure if I should jump right into it before putting in a couple years as an analyst elsewhere. Wondering if anyone’s had a similar experience and what you’d recommend pursuing short term.

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If you want to do development, and get a job in development, take that job. There's no negative of doing a couple years at a brokerage shop first (shit, I did) but you'd be leaving that experience trying to get into development. If you can skip a step and just go right into development, do so. 

Hyper specific example, I know, but had I gotten into development right off the bat, I would quite literally be worth a few million more dollars. My roundabout path made me miss the first half of the most lucrative 10-15 years in real estate history. Instead I took the long way, had to work for people my own age for a few years, and I made them rich instead. 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

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