Help: Exotics Sales Associate at BNP/SocGen v Summer Analyst at GS IM

hey everyone, asking a quick question for a friend:

She has 2 summer offers - one at a pretty well-known European bank (think BNP Paribas, SocGen, the equivalent) as exotics sales associate. Another as summer analyst in GS IM.

Her dilemma: really, really likes the people on the sales team that she met in interviews, but is not sure if she will be good on a trading desk environment & the bank's not exactly GS/MS/JPM. On the plus side, it's an associate position, which is honestly quite a lucky break (i.e. no worries about future MBA, higher starting $...), and apparently some higher-ups on the group really like her too.

On the other hand, the group @ GS is pretty quant and that's not exactly what she wants to do, though she's qualified to handle it. Also it's an analyst position, though she quite likes the group/culture. GS is also not entirely known for it's FT conversion ratio, while the other place has indicated that they're shooting for a high conversion rate. Then again, people are telling her that the GS name on her resume will get her pretty much any interview come FT recruiting.

Totally unrelated but quite interesting point: her parents REALLY want her to go to GS, for the "prestige".

Any advice for her would be much appreciated!

6 Comments
 
Best Response

I think the 1st one sounds a lot better.

Someone correct me, I am probably wrong, but doesn't everyone in sales start out as an "associate"? I mean I have never heard of a sales "analyst". I think the associate in sales associate is very different than the analyst-->associate-->VP people think about. Sales associate = IB Analyst ?

Never do something because of prestige alone. Her parents will get over it.

 

sales starts as associate, so she's still on the bottom of the totem pole there. and it'll take her a good 2 yrs at least to get to VP. minimum.

i'd take the GS offer. the branding on her resume would be great. also the exit ops would be better than the sales job, since you're in IM already, which is much harder to get into than a sales job. plus GS IM -> HF or something of similar prestige is much better than trying to do sales -> anything other than S&T.

 

Haha thanks guys. I'll forward her this link. Was shocked when I found out yesterday chatting to her on IM that she never heard of WSO.

I've met analyst sales people at networking events, though I'm into banking myself so i haven't talked to that many s&t people. maybe some banks have them and some don't?

as a quick clarification the sales position is paying quite a bit more, though probably not as much as IB associate. She also said that in interviews everyone she met at sales was an MBA, while at IM it was all sophs with a couple of juniors + master's degrees thrown in.

 

Modi aut est quia amet ea totam voluptates. Est assumenda saepe magni tempora atque.

Perspiciatis alias ad voluptatem sunt laudantium. Repudiandae itaque ut earum aspernatur illo aut iure. Vitae dolorem totam tenetur cumque et in.

Minima laborum illo eveniet aut porro error. Omnis quae esse nesciunt voluptatum esse.

Et labore fuga quod nostrum. Doloribus et est officia est nisi sit. Aspernatur soluta beatae quo quam et ut totam. Voluptatum delectus velit consequatur sint dolor ullam. Quasi voluptas a consequatur eius.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”