IB or buyside after undergrad

tldr: I’ll be an SA at a top EB this summer. Do I accept a return offer or go for a buyside role in my non-NYC hometown straight out of undergrad (in long only public equities or maybe PE)?

more info:
I anticipate being moderately happier on the buyside, as I’ll be near family & friends, work moderate hrs, and can be a multi-dimensional person. That said, I don’t want to give up the branding from the EB, the connections I’ll make, the skill set I’ll develop there. I plan to eventually attend HSW and then maybe start a company.

Curious which you guys think is better for my career, straight to buyside or an analyst stint at a top EB, and by what magnitude.

 

Curious to see why'd you see a fall in returns even if the economy begins to fall? I'd figure analysts are the cheapest and cuts would primarily be at the VP level?

 

Generally when firms don’t do well they don’t give out offers so their future costs don’t increase why increase headcount when deal flow is going down?

Interns / incoming first year analysts overall are a net minus to a firm. If economy isn’t good, a firm can easily hire well trained 1/2nd year analysts from other firms that got fired for the same amount instead.

Also, not giving an intern an offer costs nothing for the firm. Firing analysts (albeit not that high) you still have to pay severance, etc.

 

The quality of the buyside firms you can recruit for would increase following an EB stint relative to out of undergrad. For this reason the two years spent with an EB make sense career wise.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

I don’t see what long term benefits the buy side gig offers you that the EB won’t. I’m all for the buy side after skills have been developed but at your level, why wouldn’t you go to IB where you can develop the skills while simultaneously making more money and making connections you wouldn’t otherwise make.

 
Most Helpful

Quia reprehenderit dolores dolorem architecto vel in iure. Culpa at at repellat sapiente consequuntur vel eos. Autem quod quia sapiente temporibus aliquam doloremque labore. Repudiandae impedit ea recusandae cupiditate minima earum. Nesciunt amet in perferendis deserunt quia et beatae aut.

Perspiciatis ut nostrum quia rerum modi molestias repellendus. Ut tempore et quisquam.

I used to do Asia-Pacific PE (kind of like FoF). Now I do something else but happy to try and answer questions on that stuff.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”