Choosing between RJ and SMBC SA positions

The RJ position is in Fixed Income Sales, I had one 30 minute interview with two MDs to get the position. The questions they asked were resume/fit, no technicals or market questions, and it was probably only 10 minutes in total of questions. They talked at length about the FI group, the job's responsibilities, and their general thoughts (it was kind of rambl-y). I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but the "softness" of the interviewing process did throw me off, and gives me pause when deciding now.

The SMBC position is in Loan Capital Markets: Origination. I had a superday with four 30-minute interviews with 3 VPs and 1 MD to get the position. They asked fit and technical questions, and overall the process was more similar to other interviews I've done with banks. The role is more client-facing (modeling is done by another group), getting exposure to deals with different types of clients and exposure to pitching--their bread and butter is syndicated loans.

I'm currently aiming to break into IBD FT, though I know that is a difficult goal. RJ seems better in terms of reputation, but the SMBC position's workload seems more applicable to IBD. It may also be worth noting that SMBC's compensation is over double, though I know this isn't necessarily a sign of internship quality.

If anyone could provide insight, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

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