Road to M7 MBA: top corporate finance vs. strong MM ibank
my background is: target undergrad, 3.7 gpa, 750 gmat, some prev MM ibank exp already
i'm currently weighing two options:
1) top corporate finance position at a F100 company
2) top MM ibank
considering a top/MBA business schools">M7 mba in a few years, i'm not sure which option may be better. factors i've considered:
a) generally, the view is ibanking >> corporate finance
b) more leadership role experience in corp fin post
c) i already have some ibanking experience, and feel like getting some industry-side exposure can be helpful as well
d) corpfin company is a top player in its industry, whereas the MM ibank is top 10 league tables within its sector. one rationale that i've considered is being top fish in a different/lower pond vs. upper middle fish in the most competitive pond (so to speak...)
e) post mba aspirations prospectively more ibanking, pe, or continuing my corporate job (if the koolaid is simply just too sweet)
not sure which option is better to achieve such an interim goal - wanted to get forum perspective, esp those who may be applying / are currently in / have finished their mba
Also wondering about the EXACT same thing. By top corporate finance position, do you mean a FLDP program?
The way MBA recruiting is you're placed in "buckets." IB and Corporate work are in separate buckets. Your best bet is to be at the top of whatever bucket you're coming from. In that sense being at an elite corporate leadership development role (GE, J&J) is more competitive than MM IB most of the time. If you are only interested in maximizing your MBA chances therefore I would go with your corporate role assuming it is a top one. Also as a side benefit corporate roles are much more likely to let you go get your MBA with a guaranteed offer once you graduate and possibly pay for some or all of it.
What are your post mba goals?
But aren't there more 'spots allotted' to people from IB background? I might be wrong though.
I have no idea for sure but I've always heard the opposite. I've heard that lately bankers/other finance guys are a dime a dozen and that MBA adcoms prefer LDP people because they're more well-rounded and are more likely to become corporate leaders.
my ultimate dream goal is probably to get to c-level of a top company or director within a top pe shop (aka, still shooting for the stars, tho believe i still have a decent shot). i see pe as a shorter path tho than trying to go through the entire corporate ladder (correct me if i'm not mistaken) in order to get to the top rung
from my prev experience, i do see the high value of having a good couple years (say, 3-5) of ibanking exp under your belt, in terms of technicals as well as experience in negotiations / deal management
any1 out there can spare 2 cents to contrast raptor's view? points are solid and concrete, though still feel like at the end of the day, most ppl would say going banking to corporate is taking a step down, whereas going corporate to banking is seen as a step up. i do partly buy into this view, since generally, you see more corpfin people pushing to try to break into wall street, while bankers generally get welcomed in by corporates. devil's advocates, i know ur out there... (my hunch would be that 90% of members of this forum would have a view directly opposite of raptor's)
raptor, thanks for the insights - i would appreciate though if you could speak broadly on your source, such as mainly via internet browsing, friends applying/in/finished bschool, advice from counselor/adcom, etc.
If you have any PE aspirations then take the IB job and don't look back. I was talking purely MBA admissions wise. I definitely think the IB job is better overall but you weren't asking that.
Qui repellat eos sed qui ratione rerum aut. Aut ullam qui occaecati. Voluptatibus omnis quidem eveniet officia beatae adipisci amet. Voluptas rem fuga nostrum voluptas. Minus totam maxime qui veniam rerum fuga. Nisi veniam dolor labore in quasi. Odio nam beatae quisquam labore et molestias at quis.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...