CR v. FIG at BAML?

Hi everyone,

I need to decide group preferences by Thursday and am struggling between Consumer & Retail and Financial Institutions Group as my top choice, would love some help!

I like CR because it sounds fun to work with brand names that I know and would see on a regular basis. The people also seem really fun and bubbly (yes, I would be fitting into the stereotypical CR girl). It also seems like a pretty broad group, which might be good since I am thinking about switching to consulting or something else later on.

With FIG, it's BAML's biggest group and does its own M&As. The people are pretty nice and they talk about how they do more intense models, which means there are great exit opportunities (is this true?). It sounds like they also work longer hours.

Would appreciate your input. Thanks so much!

 

It sounds like you already know a lot. FIG will, all else equal, probably provide you with better exit opps. However, it's far better in general to go with a group you're happier with over something you think will help you better down the road. If you don't like what you do, you won't work well and you won't get a good rating and your opps will be irrelevant.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

Thanks! I also come from a non-finance background, and don't know much about FIG, which was why it wasn't on my radar to begin with but it could be promising. I've been trying to talk to as many people in both groups as possible, but do you think that as a first-year, the work is really different? From my understanding, it seems like a lot of the work on pitchbooks and such is pretty similar (sorry if I ask silly questions)?

 

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I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.

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