Should I Pursue an MSF or Keep Trying to Lateral?

I graduated six months ago and currently work as an investment analyst after a junior internship in corporate banking. For the past six months, I’ve been trying to lateral into IB, landing two BB interviews but not converting.

The market seems to be heating up, which is encouraging, but I’m considering applying for an MSF. While an MBA is ideal, I don’t have the experience yet, and I’d rather break into IB sooner (mid-20s) and save the MBA for later if needed.

Here’s my dilemma: Should I keep networking and pushing for a lateral move—despite limited transferable skills—or commit to an MSF? If I start an MSF in Fall 2025, I could aim for a summer 2026 internship and a full-time role after that[also my math could be off here but i think the networking for 26 has already started hasnt it?, i dont know if i will even be able to make it enough time which sounds crazy)

Is it realistic to keep trying for a lateral before the one-year post-grad mark, or should I pivot to an MSF? Would appreciate any advice!

1 Comments
 

Beatae praesentium omnis ut accusamus corporis animi sunt. Quos accusantium molestias ut nam. Libero maxime non harum vel corporis numquam sint labore. Nesciunt qui praesentium similique fugiat aut excepturi non. Saepe non eum autem. Fugiat quia dolor repudiandae quo dolore perspiciatis dolor.

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 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 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 (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”