Which is more interesting work at the entry level: corporate finance or investment banking?

Hi,

So forget salary/work hours for a minute and answer what you think is more interesting work: investment banking or doing corporate finance at a F500 company? Both are supposed to be really boring at the entry level (i-banking is just copying and pasting, coffee runs, photocopying and F500 work is usually just glorified accounting typically), but which is more interesting typically? I've actually heard some people say that F500 work is more challenging and stimulating (not that great though still at the entry level) but most people go for banking just because of the money. So excluding money/hours/exit opps, which would you do based purely on the quality of work that you're doing?

Also, for the same of comparability, let's say that you're working for excellent but not top tier banks (i.e. Barclays, Citi, CS, etc. but not GS/MS/JPM) and excellent but not top tier F500 companies (i.e. Intel, GE, Boeing, etc. but not Apple/Google/Disney, etc.)

 

Let me get this straight, you've never done either yet somehow you have the attitude that you know exactly what it is that they do day-to-day? I can assure you, I do much more than copying/pasting and photocopying...hell, I've never even once done a coffee run for anyone. I actually do quite a bit of modeling -- whether it be LBO, Merger, DCF, liquidity, operating, etc.

IB = lots of experience analyzing a high volume of different companies and potential transactions

 
youngblood:
Let me get this straight, you've never done either yet somehow you have the attitude that you know exactly what it is that they do day-to-day? I can assure you, I do much more than copying/pasting and photocopying...hell, I've never even once done a coffee run for anyone. I actually do quite a bit of modeling -- whether it be LBO, Merger, DCF, liquidity, operating, etc.

IB = lots of experience analyzing a high volume of different companies and potential transactions

Dude, sorry I didn't mean to be offensive. I never said I know exactly what it is day-to-day. I'm going off of what other people have told me, I explicitly stated that in my first post. I've had friends in both, and while they all say that there is a lot of entry level bitch work in corp fin and IB, my friends in F500s seemed happier relative to their BB IB counterparts. I posted this because I have a generally small sample size, and I want to make sure that this is just a sampling error so to speak and if more people feel this way. That's all. I understand that experience can vary widely, so I'm asking widely for opinions.

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 
Best Response

Unfortunately, I haven't really researched into corporate finance, but I have friends in investment banking who have had very different experiences. I can promise you that you will not be doing mostly coffee runs and things like that. Depending on whether you enter a BB or boutique, the experience will be different in the sense that you'll have more responsibilities in the boutique, but with BB you'll be working on deals that will end up on the front page of WSJ at some point.

Talk with some people in corporate finance, if you can. See where they come from. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them might have done investment banking or some finance job on the street before taking a job that would let them spend time with their families.

--Death, lighter than a feather; duty, heavier than a mountain
 

Quaerat totam aut molestiae eum at. Tempora hic illum omnis impedit atque.

Commodi illo magni assumenda dolor eos quod. Sapiente deleniti sit iure excepturi eum. Nostrum cum amet voluptatem ut reprehenderit asperiores id. Est aut numquam et ipsam qui et soluta. Assumenda doloribus ut quod.

Praesentium amet aut fugit neque. Autem dolores est possimus vel non. Fugiat soluta quisquam quae iusto a. Quasi est voluptate aut voluptas. Quibusdam sed excepturi voluptate est quia asperiores rem.

 

Ea suscipit non eos aut adipisci sit cupiditate. Maxime accusamus excepturi quis hic exercitationem. Animi quod nam reprehenderit exercitationem quae sit. Eaque explicabo esse voluptates eaque.

Assumenda culpa est magnam vero placeat. Consectetur illum sint consequuntur aut voluptatem. Iste occaecati et qui et.

Amet dolor qui accusantium. Dignissimos perferendis animi et odio voluptatem cumque enim voluptate. Modi rem alias expedita repudiandae quo dolore dolorum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 01 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 19 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (22) $375
  • Associates (94) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (69) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (206) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (149) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”