AM vs SS ER. Help me choose

I have locked the two offers thankfully after endless pitching and exhausting interviews processes. The ER offer is at a reputable sell-side name, though I don't know enough to make a judgement about the analyst(s) I'll be reporting to. The AM offer is at a very decent company (+400B).

LO AM has been my dream, but truth be told the salary is depressing, quite frankly. And with London tax rates, the difference is magnified (+£25k).

If comp is the sticking point, what do you think is the right choice?

PS I have passed CFA level 2 and will soon start level 3 prep.

Just a slight edit for more details. The AM offer explicitly mentions that the program is rotational and so I should be looking for rapid comp improvement in 2 years. Given that I have experience in EM equities and also pitched European contrarian equities they'll be training me for those specific fields. The sell-side offer is for covering global industrials, which I believe is an attractive field for future AM shift. 

 
Most Helpful

The obvious choice here is AM. You said it yourself that it’s your dream. I know it’s easier to give this advice than take it, but the short term difference in pay is not the right way to think about this. Especially given your offer is at a reputable, scaled shop and that you have visibility into increasing pay. Buy side work will be more intellectually satisfying, probably better hours and better aligns with your career goals. Who knows if you’ll get another chance to enter the industry after a couple years on the sellside? It’s certainly an exit, but definitely not a given. This is from a U.S. perspective if that matters.

 

Take the LO AM job. I'm someone who had to make the same decision you did and take a short term pay cut to get into a field I really enjoy. I'm also from the US but a large number of people in my program are in London as well. I am admittedly wishing for a bit better comp pretty soon, so I get it, but just take the offer. You'll thank yourself for doing it once you sign. 

If you have any specific questions about my situation and why I picked my current company, feel free to message me or reply on this thread, happy to talk more!

 

Hi mate, appreciate your offer to talk! I'm more than happy to get in touch privately just as I'm out of this recruitment stress & chaos. I legit can't put my schedules back together LOL.

I could've recruited for IB very easily btw, but like you said, passion beats money. Also tbf, if the info I heard about long-term comp is correct, you do make more sense.

 

Quos impedit placeat modi reiciendis possimus aperiam. Quasi facilis quo eos ut quas libero. Id voluptatem harum rem consequatur ratione impedit expedita.

Aperiam sunt id quam nihil. Hic delectus hic qui eligendi distinctio deleniti. Sed voluptatem voluptas corporis molestiae natus enim consequuntur. Assumenda ratione consequatur omnis neque similique perspiciatis. In rerum doloremque delectus. Consequuntur ipsum autem provident dolorum perferendis nihil qui.

Et ullam aut porro iusto. Distinctio et itaque eius quas ipsam eum. Temporibus non architecto earum quis perspiciatis. Qui dolorem earum iure eaque aliquam at assumenda. Necessitatibus dolores distinctio minus exercitationem beatae. Exercitationem eaque iure sit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (145) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”