Should I take my Startup PE Return Offer, or Try For Banking?

I've interned abroad at a PE firm this summer ($2.5B AUM, 50-100 employees) and was fortunate enough to get a return offer. I loved working here and would not mind coming back - but I feel almost obligated to go work at a large institution for a few years (I-Banking wherever I can get in). Even some of my colleagues recommend that I spend some time at an institution.

The thing is, I really only want to do banking for the skillset & the opportunities - specifically to move into the PE space at some point. I don't actually care to be in IB and living that sort of lifestyle.

I also do not have the sort of background or network to break into institutional PE out of undergrad, so I'm not really shooting for that. Could really use any advice.

Background: Non-Target 4.0 Major, 3.5 Overall GPA. Ton of leadership positions and decent internship experiences (prior to this one). Have been described as one of the top Finance students by some professors, but 3.5 gpa pinpoints me as average student at nontarget (not complaining just explaining).

Most interviews of mine come from networking with alumni - no luck with OCR or online apps.

Thanks in advance guys.

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I would take the return offer. Sounds like a great firm and opportunity.

FT IB offers are really difficult to get because there's 1/10th of the spots for SA, but the pool of candidates doesn't get much smaller. Especially if you're looking to do upper MM/megafund you'd need to go to a BB, but your GPA as you said is average. Would be a huge hustle, can't see it being worth it if you don't really want IB.

Kill it at your current firm and lateral to a different PE shop as associate/VP level if you want to. Congrats on the offer either way

Array
 

Quia tempore et asperiores dolor aperiam et quas. Cumque ab nisi enim impedit neque quo. Sunt corrupti minima officiis veniam. Hic nostrum dolor vero quas itaque consequatur vel. Commodi architecto ipsa maxime.

Totam sint non rerum delectus expedita beatae. Aut et commodi consequatur alias et et.

Enim tempore consequuntur molestiae iusto exercitationem. Voluptates dolorem quae excepturi architecto animi iure. Maiores ut hic tenetur esse corporis. Ipsam ut distinctio fugiat quae omnis.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 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

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (23) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (82) $151
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”