Best Career Progression and Salary Outside of Banking - Junior with a 3.8

n1cktm:

I would like to stay in Atlanta.

Hip hop record producer?

Also look into research...they get the cool options that a lot of the finance guys have access to, plus they usually have a much better work-life than something like banking or PE. If your goal is $200K, why no do banking for a couple of years and then go over to industry?

Problem with banking is that the lifestyle requirements - I am a non-traditional student (24) so a bit older than my peers and will be getting married really soon so working 100 hours a week is simply not an option, and it does not appeal to me either.

24 isn't that old. I'll turn 23 four months after I graduate from college. There are guys who go to college, enter the military, go to business school, and THEN start in banking. Your age is not a factor. I don't think 100 hours a week appeals to anyone.

If you want to do well, you gotta be able to suck it up and grind.

As for your questions, if you want to stay in ATL you have a lot of different options. Home Depot, Coke, ST Robinson Humphrey, BofA, there's a bunch of small asset management-type firms, etc.

i think that the GE FMP program has some businesses that are in Atlanta, but I'm not 100% sure. also, i don't think you have the ability to influence where you are placed. but they are one of the most highly regarded accounting training programs in the world.

Go to Australia and drill mines

Thank you for all the responses, I really appreciate your feedback. Just to clarify I wasn't saying I want to work 9-5, I do not mind working I just dont want to work ibank hours everyday where I will never get to see my fiance and have a life at home. I do not mind working audit hours as its only a couple of months of hell out of the entire year but during the rest of that time I'll be leaving work around 6/7 which isnt bad at all given my standards.

With that in mind would I be better off starting in Big 4 accounting and then making the jump to industry for the best career progression?

Also for the summer I decided to take an internship with BDO in Atanta in their audit group. I accepted their offer before one of my PwC interviews because I developed a very strong relationship with their audit partner during recruiting and think he can serve as a really good mentor. There are also a few Emory alums working there who I like so I thought it would be a good learning experience for the summer, especially because of my connection with the partner and BDO being a smaller firm (more exposure-100 people in their Atlanta office instead of 2k like Big 4).

sk824 can I ask what industry you work in and what your role is?

So realistically you want to be able to top $200k in annual comp (assuming inflation adjusted) with about 10~15 years into your career. I think that's pretty do able elsewhere, but in a low cost of living city like Atlanta (and the employers know it) it'll be nearly impossible unless you go hard in the beginning of your career.

If you're going the business route in Atlanta, you'll top $200k all in comp if you're one of the following:

-Director/Engagement Manager level at a Big 4 -Manager level at M/B/B -Principal level at smaller consulting shops -Buyside analyst with 7~10 yrs in exp ($200k consistently, hitting it out of the park 1 year and have 80k salary + 120k bonus don't count) -MD in banking (any banking) for a south east regional bank.

Those positions will likely be your highest chance to reach your target comp in the alotted time frame, and none of them off work/life in the beginning. If you go corporate, you'll not reach $200k plus unless you're in VP/Director level, and like someone previously said they usually hire former consultants/big 4ers to take those positions. Unless some dies, or you work for a company that exclusively promote from within, it's nearly impossible to get there via the corporate route.

Sorry dude, unless you leave the city or change your goals, I foresee some sort of hard work in your near future

sorry you cant get away from putting in the hard work... most of us are not superstars and in order to where we all want to be the ones above us are going to work us and work us hard...

I liken your situation to one of these stripper girls who think they can not do extras and be a "square" (ie. you not wanting to put in the really hard work "and keeping the work life balance") and still expect to make $6000 - $10000 a month... only those who sacrifice thier "diginty" (in our case our work/life balance) will make the big bucks... every thing has a price of admission

How much extra are we talking about really - I do not mind working 65 hours or so just dont want to be working 80+ hours a week consistently.

Thank you for your responses UFO Insider and Buyside Noob. Assuming I am not interested in consulting and am willing to work ~65-70 hours a week initially for a few years and am not aiming for investment banking, would Big 4 be the best place to start then in Atlanta? I know that Home Depot, Coke, UPS, etc all recruit at Emory for finance as well? Would I be better off going to work for Big 4 audit and then trying to transfer to TAS and getting my MBA (or going to work for a client) have better career progression and exit opportunities than starting as a financial analyst at coke, THD, UPS, etc? With a background in big4 (tas/audit) and a MBA would I be able to break into corp dev or treasury of F1000 in Atlanta? It seems that the most viable options outside of banking/consulting out of Emory (assuming I want to stay in Atlanta) are either Big4 vs. F500 FA roles. Could you please advise the choice and give pros/cons?

Thank you guys.

consulting arm of a big 4, better lifestyle in my opinion. 200k is the compensation for a senior manager.