Starting off in a sell side vs buy side as a trading analyst in macro

Hey, so i have a s&t offer from a tier 1 american bank and an offer from a tier 1 hedge fund as an analyst under a pod. are there any cons to starting off in the buy side immediately rather than going through the sell side experience?

abit of bg abt me: fresh stem undegrad
interests: macro & quantamental analysis (my firm/pod is v discretionary but want me to start building some semi-systematic signals)

i also have to ask, what are some of the expectations i should set straight with my pm if i do decide to pick buy side. the reason i say this is because sell side is defn more structured & desk traders have a personal incentive to train u, not sure about the buy side tho

4 Comments
 

Trading is the one place where I think you don’t need to start off in sell side to get exposure & learn. Take the buy side gig and thank yourself later

 
Most Helpful

Reiciendis qui dolores consequatur eos. Dolorem natus autem voluptas. Quia velit minima corrupti et eum.

Velit libero dolore est vitae minus. Laudantium ullam hic temporibus quas ducimus quaerat distinctio. Omnis excepturi et temporibus nihil vero. Sequi ducimus nesciunt quo beatae molestiae ex. Occaecati pariatur sunt mollitia eaque qui.

Cumque in et quos minima excepturi recusandae est. Velit esse vel dolorem est enim. Molestias minus ad aut pariatur quo aut aliquid. Cumque repellat velit sit optio corrupti. Fuga est in ut iusto.

Incidunt ad corporis eligendi architecto. Enim velit unde et molestias. Maxime magni commodi repellendus et perspiciatis. Nemo est consequatur enim reprehenderit ullam. Dolorum inventore voluptate ipsam voluptatem ut. Nihil ipsam nostrum tempore tenetur est incidunt. Ut omnis ut saepe iure aliquid soluta fugit dignissimos.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”