Choice of REPE Asset Management or Acquisitions Role out of Undergrad
Recently graduated from undergrad and have been pounding the pavement in this job market looking for a full time analyst role. I'm in the fourth and final rounds for 2 firms and feel confident that I will get offers from one or both based on feedback i've received from both firms. I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite- so i've come to wso to ask for your opinions based on best exit opps and overall career.
Option 1: Large REPE (15Bn AUM) in office acquisitions, the drawback here is the HQ is in a city I don't have any desire to live in. The plus is exit opps.
Option 2: Smaller REPE (4Bn AUM) in asset management, the plus is the HQ is in the primary market I want to live in with all my friends. Drawback is probably less exit opps?
I eventually want to be involved in acquisitions in the city that the Asset Management position is in. I could do a year or so with option 1 then move to a big shop in the market I want to be in, but could I also pull that off from the AM role at the smaller shop?
Looking to balance setting up my career, while also being able to live life with my friends and family near by. (I still need to get one of these job offers but just looking to wrap my head around this).
Thank you for any and all input WSO goats
Did anyone in the acquisitions department of the 4B firm lateral over from the AM department? You should be able to find this out browsing LinkedIn. If so, that would be the only reason to take the 4B AM role. If you want to be in acquisitions and you have an offer in acquisitions, take it. Going to a new city and making new friends will be tough at first but you can always move to where you want to be down the road plus you’ll have a bigger network/market knowledge than if you had just stayed.
So I feel like what I am about to say won't be popular from the common WSO perspective, but here it is.....
If living where you want to is important, you know the answer. 4bn vs. 15bn is significant, but size/prestige is the wrong factor to look at. Acquisitions vs. asset mngt is like question of the century with acq being the winner. Yet, I kinda think most people talking about it are on the outside looking in, there is nothing wrong with AM. If you are die hard set on acquisitions, well again you know your answer. I personally don't see it as that much better of a place to start in order to have a very long, successful career.
So, I really don't see any major downsides to option 2. Taking a jobs for the exit ops is only valuable if you know you want to leave, which is odd way to think of at the start of a job. Life is more than career, friends and lifestyle matter. I just get the sense that the 'exit op' from option 1 you want, is the job in option 2. If you didn't think this may be the case, you would not be asking the question..............
Thank you both for the replies.. I'll see how my final rounds go this week but I'm thinking ill go with the asset management offer. It boils down to where I will be happiest and I feel that i'll have many opportunities to choose career over lifestyle and friends in the future, but choosing dream city vs. across the country is not worth the added prestige of acquisitions. I'll leave the prestige worries for the IB forums.
Good
Don't overlook the fact that it'll be much easier for you to network in Option 2 given you'll be in your desired market.
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