Advice on choosing offer

Hey everyone. I have learned a lot from reading these forums before and the advice has actually allowed me to receive some offers for this summer. Thanks for all of the help. I am currently a sophomore at a target school. I have a summer offers at:

  1. No name MM boutique investment bank
  2. Large-cap PE but seems more research orientated from descriptions I was given at interview and not sure how much deal experience I will get
  3. Mid-cap VC firm

Which do you guys think I should pick for this summer to ideally set me up well for a BB IBD or Large-cap PE for next summer after my junior year. Thanks everyone!

 
Best Response

go with the PE - everybody in IB is a brand whore. If they see a large cap PE firm, they (BB IBD) will all invite you in for interviews, and you will probably get a BB IBD. doesn't matter if it's more research oriented. there are tons of kids who work summers in no name shitty MM banks i've never heard of...unless there's a compelling reason i always pick them after people who've worked at more recognizable places (it's also just defensive...if the interviewee ends up being a total clown in an interview with your senior, you can always point and say, well he worked at KKR not my fault he's stupid)

 

Does said PE firm recruit for FT from undergrad (like Baincap, Silverlake, Blackstone, etc.)? If so this may be your opportunity to network and impress some people enough for a shot at PE FT at a large PE firm straight out of undergrad which would be like winning the lottery. I currently work in large cap PE which hires straight out of undergrad and believe me that those guys feel blessed to have skipped 2 years of IB hell. Think about it.

 

Thanks for all of the advice guys. To JeffSkilling: It would be just under that level. Top 10 for sure in terms of size. To spinner: the firm does not usually recruit from undergrad and they have already told me that most likely there wouldn't be a real front office position for me next year, as the position would get no deal experience just market research experience.

Also xqtrack thats an interesting perspective and definitely something I will keep in mind. Are there really that many applicants that have MM IB experience their sophomore summer? Would you be able to guess on the relative percentage of applicants that have this? Thanks everyone!

 

Thanks for all of the advice everyone. I am also thinking of doing something unconventional and working at an internet start up that I think has a very innovative idea that might take off. Anyways I was wondering if anyone knew, or could estimate, about what percentage of applicants to BB IBD in their junior year would have previous IB experience during their sophomore summer. Thanks!

 

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