GS Merchant Banking

Why do people not talk about this? All I ever see is IB on this site, yet everyone wants to exit to some buy-side investing role. Merchant Banking, especially corporate private investing, seems like it would be incredibly more relevant for exit ops to PE, VC, and Growth Equity firms. Per the job description, you are doing a combination of financial modeling and evaluating/sourcing investments.

93 Comments
 

That's a shame, because all of the various private capital investment-type groups in Goldman are super interesting.

 

But to recap can anyone list all of the investing groups in GS that you can feasibly work for as an analyst directly after college? It's hard to keep track with all of the acronyms, and like @guggroth93" mentioned, some groups take experienced hires only.

 

Pretty sure merchant banking = private banking/wealth management so same base salary because it's FO and a lower bonus ... Depending on performance though?

Exit opps are likely to be less in merchant banking. Tbh I don't know much about merchant banking - best to wait for others to reply too...

 
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Charles-perryPretty sure merchant banking = private banking/wealth management so same base salary because it's FO and a lower bonus ... Depending on performance though?

Exit opps are likely to be less in merchant banking. Tbh I don't know much about merchant banking - best to wait for others to reply too...

You're an idiot.

 

Pretty sure merchant banking = private banking/wealth management so same base salary because it's FO and a lower bonus ... Depending on performance though?

Exit opps are likely to be less in merchant banking. Tbh I don't know much about merchant banking - best to wait for others to reply too...

 

Merchant Banking =/= Private Banking or Wealth Management at all.....

juniormistmaker is correct: a merchant banking division is essentially the PE arm of a bank. I've read on here that groups like GS MB are more difficult to get into on the analyst level than IB given the fact that these groups are smaller and the nature of the work is slightly different. I would imagine the exit opps to PE are significant.

//www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/gs-merchant-banking-0

Impossible is nothing
 

..heh i'll never understand how kids are able to get final rounds and job offers without even knowing what the job is.

------------ I'm making it up as I go along.
 
ChildPlease

-Is it harder to gain a entry level position from undergrad than IBD?

Yes.

ChildPlease

-Is the nature of the work similar to IBD?

No.

ChildPlease

-Would it be considered more prestigious than working for GS TMT etc?

Get the fuck out!

(But the answer is yes.)

ChildPlease

-Has anyone interviewed with them before?

Technically someone has interviewed with them before, but I have not seen anybody give a first-hand account here.

“Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do”
 

Is GS MBD not an exit opp itself? Surely there is no or very little difference between the work/role you do as a PE analyst in GS MBD vs a PE analyst at a MF PE fund or a MM PE fund?

 

You can only get in if you have worked in GS prior (for the most part) -- they also usually do not transfer summers to analysts. There are currently two analysts and they have been at GS since their sophomore year. I interviewed as an outsider via HireVue and had been explained by a VP in the group that sophomore IB analysts had higher priority on the totem pole, by nature of their history in GS.

 

So a second year IBD analyst out ranks a second year MBD analyst?

Also happen to know one of the two analysts that started summering there their sophomore year. Are you saying they dont do this anymore?

   
 

A lot of the stuff said on here is true (mentor of mine worked in this group). Not entirely sure on getting an SA there but historically people from the IB groups (Industrials, HC, NR, etc.) are the people who would transfer to GS PIA.

 

GSAM is another route related to this, including their alts management (mostly FoF but I know they do some co-investments!)

 

Yes, still says application received to this day.

I'm sure you know this but the chances of getting a job or even an interview with any bank simply by submitting an app online (unless done through OCR) are pretty dismal. Even more so for GS Merchant Banking as most of their people probably come out of GS IBD.

 

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