Internship choice: SMALL boutique, or big valuation house?

Yes, have both offers in hand. Small boutique would give zero technical training, but client exposure and freedom to take on lots of responsibility; valuation house would give 100% technical. I already have an IB internship (off-cycle) under my belt.

The goal is to get into the best iBank I can for full-time.

 

I would go with the boutique. You want to work in IB, and this is an IB internship- it is that simple. Plus, how are you going to spin with in an interview when asked why you had an IB internship and then decided to work in a valuation role? The assumption will be that you either did not know what you wanted or that you could not get an IB internship, so you settled for valuation role, neither of which bode well for FT recruiting.

 
Best Response

No. Modeling and valuation are just a tiny part of what IB is. Editing CIMs, putting together teasers, keeping track of potential buyers, uploading documents to the data room, etc. are all still very much IB. Valuing intangibles, PP&E, or whatever else this valuation shop values is certainly very important, but it is not IB. Second, and most importantly, your story will take a hit if you take this valuation internship. How do you explain going from IB to valuation and then now wanting to do IB again? Regardless of what your answer is, your answer will leave the interviewer with more questions than he/she had before.

I would take the boutique internship and then read my lateraling guide to see how I overcame the lack of modeling experience when I started FT at a boutique.

 

Take the boutique. Transaction experience will set you apart from the hundred other kids in valuation looking to make the move, as will having Investment Banking Analyst on your resume. Yeah you might get underpaid but hey it's not forever seeing as you have plans to lateral, so just swallow it and take it for a year. I'd rather interview a candidate who knows his way around a deal than someone who is just technically capable.

 

Illo dignissimos suscipit dolorem consequuntur. Non nulla et in. Cupiditate porro et sapiente. Eius minus earum explicabo occaecati sunt. Ipsum qui laudantium quis eaque odio quae deleniti. Quo consectetur quo deserunt qui dolorum aliquam.

Perferendis aut quos et impedit. Qui id ut sit et id nulla accusantium. Voluptatibus ipsum ea voluptatem mollitia ipsum. Dolor atque quibusdam ut amet quis reprehenderit.

Voluptas voluptatem error architecto sint odit debitis dolorem. Minus nisi a et similique beatae. Eligendi natus nihil nobis. Qui non sunt qui distinctio. Dignissimos vel molestiae quae eligendi voluptates ipsum explicabo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 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

April 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

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (145) $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

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...”