Investment Banking vs. Management Consulting (Thoughts From A Former Banker & Consultant!)

[@francescoglira7717]

Pro: In banking you don't have to pay rent because you sleep under your desk :)

[@rareliquid]

loooll nope still have to pay rent :(

[@spandan9565]

Till your young yrs...after that u live in million dollars houses

[@umeshofficial13]

Lol

[@jdj8168]

Lmao

[@markchen7905]

this is so true one of my college friends live in time square and i was wowed until i realized they were 3 people sharing a living room cuz they essentially dont go back rip

[@ianaguilar8090]

This is a great video as a finance major I’m still unsure which field I want pursue and this video really helped

[@fib6156]

You forgot to count in the travel time for consultants to get to a more realistic comparison in hours per week vs banking . First year analyst doesn't need to catch the 7am flight every Monday morning. I.e.The good thing about banking is that all the crunch hours are done in the office, not a a client site in the middle of nowhere.

[@MrAngry3232]

Similar for the big consulting firms - small companies ‘in the middle of nowhere’ just cant afford the fees.

[@fib6156]

@@MrAngry3232 I have worked with MBB and in bulge bracket I banking; Many big clients have factories in the middle of nowhere my friend. A banker never has to go there. I worked more hours in consulting per week compared to banking.

[@raphaelhorvath4642]

One of very few truly 10/10 videos out there! Thank you!

[@ChiNguyen-bb3qn]

It is such an informative video I must say. And I do agree on the part you mentioned about quantitative or qualitative thinkers. Thank you so much for this! Keeping up with the great work.

[@user-hk1ww5ux2o]

Feedback appreciated.👆 Wanting more info and insight? WatsApp the numbr above Endeavor to reach out!!

[@TheFreakout66]

Good to mention “absolute best exit opportunities” as a pro for IB is highly subjective. Strongest exit opps for finance roles? Yes. But consulting offers you greater optionality across industry than IB (tech, buy-side, management roles, etc.)

[@dhathr]

It’s highly biased. He views vanilla PE as the best exit opps when in reality, that’s the only area where banking actually has a leg up. If you want to do almost any other area, consulting is better or equal. Also no top tier strategy shop travels over 50% now. Probably around 10-25% now

[@rareliquid]

@@dhathr you guys act like i said consulting opps are a B- vs. banking A+ while I basically am saying banking is an A+ while consulting is an A. I've seen bankers get pretty much any job I've seen consultants get. Only difference is that it's much harder to break into PE and near impossible to break into a hedge fund from consulting. Both are still really great fields and you will do fine with a top 3 job from either. Re the travel part, my friend actually didn't mention that so that was a mistake on my end. Thank you for that clarification!

[@SirPunzalot]

@@rareliquid I'd argue the opposite. Good luck exiting into operations or tech roles from IB. There's no denying that consulting offers a much greater breadth and variety of exit options than IB, it's just that IB has a leg-up in Fin roles (Markets, Hedge funds, PEVC et al). Having said that, folks from MBB (esp. Bain) do get into PE/VC because of the strong competency developed by these 3 in M&A and PE

[@DannyT24]

Maybe I’m biased since I work in consulting but I do think consulting has better exit ops. Yes it’s harder to break into PE but I as well as many of my other consulting friends still got in, you just have a smaller pool, I also know many consultants who got hedge fund offers. I think IB definitely has a leg up in finance jobs but if you look at the entire landscape consulting wins, so if you really wanna go into finance then yeah maybe IB is the right move

[@richieg.3192]

LFG! Ben! Great Energy

[@rareliquid]

thanks richie!

[@mr_phamtastic]

Truth! Consulting perks are amazing!

[@ricardoaugustin39]

Congrats on the content!! Really useful!!

[@sandisiweloqo5560]

What a beautiful content👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@etiennetremblay2154]

Great video!!!!!! Loved it.

[@jayhoovy]

I found this channel randomly; glad I stopped by! Great content!!

[@風信子-v8m]

thank you so much! It is so clear to me now.

[@rareliquid]

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[@vishnumandalapu]

Would like to hear your take on kadena coin

[@nietur]

@@vishnumandalapu bsc 0xea88d713af5d742dbcafc4b0360b59a8b3e34d6b thank me later, np

[@scottdenoble1323]

I have and IB internship this summer, do you suggest I take this course or will I be trained in all of the content on the job?

[@nietur]

@@scottdenoble1323 prepare as much as possible, then you can learn more, show off more, get a job there more likely

[@sandisiweloqo5560]

Beautiful video👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 well put together.

[@jackson60714]

Great vid! As someone who works in MBB I will say the work hours should be closer to ~70 hrs per week. There might be some variations across regions but 50-60 hrs sound surreal.

[@rareliquid]

got it thanks! guess i should’ve said 50-70 because i know there are stretches where consultants do have to work pretty late mon to thurs. does it balances out on a yearly basis to 60 or less though for all that time waiting in between projects? during those times i know most consultants work on internal initiatives but the hours are much less intense

[@TomSpencer-d8d]

very good informative vdo thank u

[@smg801]

So as someone who reneged an IB offer for MBB (starting next year), I do want to say that a lot of these comparison points are no longer accurate. The largest of which is that Covid has eliminated the need to travel every week for consultants, in fact, at least at my MBB no one is traveling every week and that is expected to continue from now on. Additionally, MBB consultants regularly recruit into PE and VC firms. Not so much hedge funds, def still the domain of bankers, but anything in private investing is open from MBB. Lastly, the salary difference is pretty minimal now. Especially if you aren’t in NYC for MBB. The post-tax difference in compensation between me and my BB IB friends in NYC is 15k, which is fairly easily made up by the value of the perks.

[@rareliquid]

thanks for the clarifications here. didn't realize that covid changed consulting for the long run like that. it also didn't come up in my conversation with my friend at BCG (she's still there so i guess it just slipped during our convo). For salary difference, I think it only is similar in the first ~5 years. After that the difference in comp starts to widen. also for PE and VC (and the latter in particular), I do agree it's not 100% closed off. but just way harder to land a spot where you're running LBO models. i would imagine it's a lot easier to get operational roles at PE firms as a consultant and that's what most go for but lmk if you disagree. not trying to spread any misinformation so your perspective is helpful. thanks!

[@eddy-currents]

@@rareliquid Why should someone care about a career in PE and VC firms? Doesn't seem like they pay substantially more in my region, at least compared to big tech roles

[@TheMrPistolable]

@@eddy-currents prestige, insane bonuses and being the person making the big acquisition decisions from my understanding

[@NHLFrenzy]

MBB has quite an easy time entering the buyside. When you look at the number of ex-MBB at MF and MM PE funds versus the number of MBB consultants that are actually interested in finance, the success rate's better than IB.

[@yashaspradeep7073]

So are you saying it’s better to got to mbb/consulting then PE?

[@Easternlodown]

100% - have seen numerous people do this.

[@bakulbadwal2423]

interesting but if MBB to PE isn't it PE opps not deal team? Or can it be deals too?

[@revolutionizer2940]

I’ve binged at least 20 of your videos since I found your channel last week. Good stuff, Ben. Keep it up.

[@haox2659]

Just a correction, buy side also heavily recruits MBBs, especially from Bain.

[@rareliquid]

Should've clarified i meant more that consultants don't get hired for PE deal team positions because they haven't learned how to model like bankers which is essential for an investor position. Yes, MBB does lead to operational PE roles but when I say "buy side" I'm really focused on the investor roles. May sound like a small difference but the role differences of deal team vs. operational are pretty significant. Spoke with my friend at BCG who worked at Silver Lake (top PE firm) who left in part because she felt like she was a marginal member of the team rather than a core part of it. Most PE firms fill a small % of their roles with ex-consultants to help operate their portfolio companies. Only firm where I may not expect this to be the case is Bain Capital which is probably run a bit differently given its ties with Bain. Hope this helps clarify! Sometimes I can't get to every detail in a video but this one I should've made more clear.

[@andrewzhu6155]

@@rareliquid To my understanding this is not fully true as many firms with operational strategies are open to hiring MBB consultants to the deal team. Yes banking does open more doors to more funds but if you're at any MBB you can get PE deal team interviews, it's up to you to get the offers however.

[@rareliquid]

​@@andrewzhu6155 sure it's not 100% closed off but i would say if you want to go to the buy side you don't go to MBB you go into banking. Building LBOs / modeling is a huge part of being a core part of the deal team and it's possible at some PE shops to be on the deal team from MBB but it's pretty uncommon. That said, I think MBB consultants are smarter than the average Goldman / MS / JPM banker so it's not a matter of intelligence IMO but just practice / experience working on transactions

[@TheFreakout66]

@@andrewzhu6155 Backing this up as a MBBer. Hires to PE deal teams are not uncommon. While you see exponentially more PE associates coming from banking, almost everyone in IB is looking to make that transition to the buy-side, which is not true for MBB. Getting in front of PE firms for interviews is not overtly difficult from MBB, but like Andrew said, receiving an offer could be considered harder because of a lack of modeling skills.

[@rareliquid]

@@TheFreakout66 will take your and Andrew's word for it as yall prob know better than me! thanks for these clarifications

[@pranittambe7709]

the best video on IB vs MC on youtube. very well and comprehensively explained💯

[@rareliquid]

thanks you~

[@spashdad]

@rareliquid. Why would people exit to tech with an MBA if they can go directly

[@abdulhafizmugni7149]

really good insight, thank you

[@rareliquid]

⏱Timestamps⏱ 0:00 - Introduction 0:46 - The Firm Hierarchy 2:27 - What You Do in Banking 3:38 - Financial Edge Sponsorship 4:33 - What You Do in Consulting 6:06 - The Pros 9:19 - The Cons 11:17 - How You Can Decide

[@tomtosavage9722]

Consultants cant get buyside jobs??? I thought they could go to PE or even hedge funds?

[@exerjiexerji289]

Thank you very much, buddy

[@yvankonan877]

Great video. Thanks.

[@laizhou7352]

Your English is perfect. How many years have you stayed in English-speaking countries? Could you make a video about how to improve English and speak like a native speaker? Thank you!

[@rareliquid]

I was born and raised in California!

[@laizhou7352]

@@rareliquid No wonder. I thought you were born and raised in Korea before hahaha

[@sodangchrispy]

Man’s rly snuck in Deloitte into T2

[@dhathr]

He really picked Deloitte as an example of top tier consulting

[@rareliquid]

@@dhathr ....? I picked BCG if you watched the video. I compared JPM with BCG based on my friend's experience. Deloitte is not top tier and I know that

[@kitstudent4446]

The consultancy rating is a bit biased by an only American view. Roland Berger is definetly Tier 2 and probably Tier 1 in Germany and in general really prestigious across Europe.

[@user-hk1ww5ux2o]

Feedback appreciated.👆 Wanting more info and insight? WatsApp the numbr above Endeavor to reach out!!

[@mhbguy]

Love this video as always!

[@rareliquid]

thanks martin!

[@shivanisorakhe4589]

Good informative video.

[@user-hk1ww5ux2o]

Feedback appreciated.👆 Wanting more info and insight? WatsApp the numbr above Endeavor to reach out!!

[@tube.brasil]

I imagine that a non-US citizen in IB will never have the same chances of advancement as an American.

[@bewater28]

Culture, language, etc

[@chingquenn6696]

Actually, Roland Berger is a tier2 company, especially aggressive in EU and China. And Strategy& is also a tier2. EY Parthenon is getting worse in Asia, I guess.

[@user-hk1ww5ux2o]

Feedback appreciated.👆 Wanting more info and insight? WatsApp the numbr above Endeavor to reach out!!

[@extremeguy967]

I'm from Germany: could it be that the consulting industry is totally different in the US? In Germany you can expect to work 50-60 at the Big4, but never at BCG lol... also no German would get into IB only with those internships :(

[@rareliquid]

yeah this video was mainly about US companies

[@romans_roman]

Really helpful video! Thank you from Korea.

[@oliveredwards2793]

it's not late for investors to review their portfolios and pick up some investments that might do well in the this year.. looking at the performance of various stocks and the dip in the crypto space, there’s so much opening to get in a earn good profits.

[@noelstout3056]

Not everyone has their financial freedom so well sorted out, it’s ideal to start saving and investing early. An early start gives your money more time to grow.

[@kelvinjohnson3906]

Apparently trading with more money generated more profits.

[@kelvinjohnson3906]

Investing in Nfts, and particularly the crypto market is one important step I’ll be taking this year

[@ianklimisch4139]

I've heard the elite boutique banks (Tier 1B) are becoming preferable to even the top 3 bulge brackets. Can you speak to that at all?

[@shilanmi4761]

My first me profit of over $ 20,000 and ever since I have been with him

[@zBMatt]

I feel so bad for you getting these comments lol. The reason why boutique banks are now better than MBB’s are due to the Great Recession. MBB’s are heavily regulated and restricted as to what they can and can’t do. By simply making a hedge fund for short / niche trades, an asset management firm for long trades, a VC for think tank financing, a mutual fund for large scale risk managed trades, and private equity for private investing you can skirt these regulations.

[@fib6156]

At bain worked many more hours per week compared to the time spent at Morgan Stanley

[@JoshuaJMorley]

I would point out to other viewers, that as Rareliquid said in the opening statement, here the focus is on strategy and management consulting. The advice shifts when you start talking about technology consulting, which was traditionally much smaller but has been growing at a far larger rate than management and strategy (both of which are seeing declines in many areas)

[@sumeetkanmande9249]

Thank you very much for video

[@SohaibAshraf]

Juicy stuff - hoping this is your next viral hit 🤪

[@jattin278]

Thanks for This Rareliquid, This video has helped me so much will definately share it to my peers. Im now fixed for consulting. Consulting sounds the thing that i want most in life.

[@jattin278]

It would be great if you can suggest me a youtube channel of a consultant from tier ,2 or 3 company?

[@rareliquid]

kchoi has a great channel!

[@jattin278]

@@rareliquid Thank you 😊

[@AbhishekBindal144]

Is it possible to get into either of these fields in your mid 30s? If yes, would you be starting from scratch (w/ or without an MBA)

[@ishika.sachdeva]

excellent video- thank you for this!

[@newsmansuper2925]

auto - bankGPT + Langchain + btc/eth has this sector done.

[@nicolarot8204]

Why is Wells Fargo or Wells Fargo Clearing not listed in any Tier

[@JosephOshinaike]

Consulting is life

[@bhagyashreedevi6783]

Hello sir, I am in a dire need of a job as am bankrupt now due to my father's Chronic Kidney Disease treatment. My eligibilities are :- Fluent English communicating skills, Efficient managerial and planning skills and computing skills. I am in severe crisis please help me come out of it as believe I have skills to prove and live a life.

[@flospitzer1138]

I don't agree with your ranking. At least in the DACH region, Roland Berger is definitely ranked higher than the big 4.

[@jessicacumbana5064]

We do work on Fridays, sometimes until 10😶

[@deepblueocean5055]

The information in this video is what I am looking for. Thank you so much 🙏

[@FA-dz8ls]

I think Roland Berger is a tier 2. In addition, Strategy& is a pretty strong tier2 company.

[@Youthemoneyguy]

Banking = $$ but narrower path Consulting = $ but more opportunities Source = me (I have worked full-time as a trader, quant trader, and investment banker. Now work as a Product Manager in tech)

[@chefpollo6037]

This is a good general answer.

[@scholaroftheworldalternatehist]

What was your undegrad in?

[@Youthemoneyguy]

Engineering !

[@EnkelaTafa]

@@YouthemoneyguyWhat was the path like from engineering to banking? I am very curious

[@MrAragon12345]

Got me set on working in Management Consulting, thanks for the info. Real helpful!

[@spielewilly]

Deloitte tier 2? Yikes. Also, Parthenon is part of EY nowadays, isn't it?

[@jamesverm_]

Do u think Deloitte should be higher or lower?

[@spielewilly]

@@jamesverm_ tier 3, as any other BIG4 firm. Local teams here and there can be really good, but on average it's tier 3, imho

[@rban123]

Should be titled banking vs management consulting

[@techtpm118]

Great video. It may be good to also discuss exit opportunities between banking and consulting. MBA? VC? Tech?

[@Alejandro-mo4pt]

Do consultants make more money than a investment banker? (im from Spain 🇪🇦🤙)

[@zazh9563]

Hey I need help.. I am interested in both technology and finance. Wanna create a startup in these 2 industries. But I am not able to choose one . Can u help me out with that..

[@johntatendamushonga7790]

Thanks a lot this quite the eye opener. May you kindly do one on Equity Research and Quantitative Analysis as well?

[@Jayhawkfinance]

Is there a specific type of keyboard used in investment banking? I am in real estate finance for a relative's firm and always searching for ways to improve my efficiency

[@MrAngry3232]

How can Alastair provide up to date training if he last worked in the industry 25yrs ago?

[@HERXMES]

Just for some that struggle… Find your passion if u cant decide based on $$$

[@Lightyear_01]

Thanks

[@princewembo8905]

Hello, can you compare the pay? BCG vs JP Morgan

[@BrandenBest]

Daddy D is not Tier 2, only people at D think its T2 (or MBBD). Its the big 4 + accenture

[@rareliquid]

back in my day Deloitte strategy only (not their other consulting arms) was tier 2 but maybe things have changed!

[@akp167]

I wouldn't put Deloitte in Tier 2. If anything, I would put Accenture in Tier 2. But I guess I am bias because I work at Accenture.

[@JackSmith-cd6eo]

Is CFIs FMVA course just as good as the one you recommend??

[@smaydysadda9112]

You said, we can exit consulting industry and enter into various other fields except Buy side. Why did you say so?

[@rareliquid]

you can it's just not as easy as from banking so i would say that was a bit misleading. most investment roles at buy side firms are filled by bankers but consultants can certainly enter the buy side. sorry about that and hope this clarifies!

[@smaydysadda9112]

@@rareliquid Loved you replied ❤️❤️. Yes it clarifies. Thanks 😊

[@k3x7z]

Awesome video dude! I know your backgrounds originally in iBanking, but do you have any recommended KZbinrs that can shed more light on the consulting space?

[@enzosquid1060]

hi! would you say that its hard to move from one industry into IB or management consulting? Like lets say youre under corporate banking and handle institutional loans?

[@Techinvestor567]

No that’s really simple. In consulting, industry background makes you valuable for projects in the industry you are from. Same accounts for banking, but not as much.

[@marco4568]

very easy to do that. just spend 200,000 USD on top 10 MBA. the worst case scenario you get into mediocre IB or consulting firms. This in fact is what a lot of people do if they aren't competitive enough straight outta undergrad.

[@ntinnie99]

Thank you for your informative video! I was wondering if you could make an excel shortcut tutorial type video! I loved watching your live model builds and seeing how fast and efficient you are on excel. Thanks and keep up the great contents!

[@weppes8090]

Thank you so much for this video ! Do you have any similar training platform as FinancialEdge for Consulting ?

[@frankzhang9339]

Hello, any advice for young engineers who want to move into consulting? My goal is to get into a reputable consulting firm then apply for MBA.

[@siennahope6100]

with a CPA designation, can i get into consulting? i'm 33 already..what education background do i need to get? i have no financial modeling background

[@saum]

I am fixated by your $32 dollar frame in the background.

[@t.h.9897]

Didn´t stay in any hotel for almost 2 years now...

[@zikoguess9202]

"Except for the buy side" are you kidding? Most VCs recruit from mbb ...

[@EduardoRodriguez-tp6oo]

Where can I buy a painting like the one in the video?

[@viatsri.4165]

Go consulting u will work with all banks

[@user-if9up7rp6p]

T2 Boutiques for consulting are wrong. 1. Deloitte strategy isn't a thing anymore and not in the same league as the other T2 firms - Monitor has been absorbed by S&A and pay isn't the same as EYP/S& 2. Booz allen hamilton should probably be Strategy& (formerly Booz & Co). BAH is mainly IT consulting in the federal space and doesn't pay nearly the same as other T2 firms. 3. I would include Alix Partners and Alvarez and Marsal to the list

[@rareliquid]

thanks for the clarifications!

[@xxyanlixx]

I wish i can rewind back my life and get into consulting. But im too far down my career to do a switch :( Plus im making too much money from solana (THANKS TO YOU BEN!)

[@danieloctavianus5538]

Well, which one is time consuming? Auditor or Investment Banker?

[@krishagarwal1844]

what does buy side mean and why cant consultancy managers enter it? pls help....great vid btw!

[@wickis]

private equity

[@ericlee5014]

Thanks for this, really helpful

[@poliewill2909]

A banker can do whatever a consultant can do. A consultant do not have the technical skills of a banker. Take a easy subject like marketing and you still can go consulting.

[@paularojasmar]

I loved the videos about careers, this was amazing ❣ 😎

[@rareliquid]

Thanks as always Paula!

[@prayasdash2540]

Can i switch from investment banking to management consulting after say like 2-3 years

[@mithunmohanan922]

Hi Ben . Great Content ! Could you please tell me ( or anyone) like what if you are doing a degree not a from a target uni and alongside pursuing ACCA and no previous internship experience , how hard is it to break into an internship from a top tier investment banking institution ? Or is it even possible

[@abraarhuq9221]

well ACCA is for accounting, so it might help marginally for banking, but depends on hoe non-target your uni is as well. are there alumni from your school at top tier banks? if not, it makes it harder. if you are a first or second year i would start networking now, and start building connections. if possible, transfer to a target uni too.

[@jan-jonasschneider5654]

It’s hard. Transfer to Target, get yourself some Mid-Cap M&A internships, then some better M&A internships and afterwards try to get your first IB internship.

[@jg7088]

Thoughts on the HBO show industry?

[@xxyanlixx]

Sup BEN!

[@iliyannazarali495]

Are weekends off in investment banking and management consulting?

[@jan-jonasschneider5654]

IB Nope, MC depends on where u work and the project. In Germany at MBB its off

[@matthewmcgoldrick363]

How is Wesleyan University for Investment Banking?

[@zaighamkazmi2067]

Where you get that painting

[@tyilomales4411]

why goldman sachs doesnt acquire jp morgan

[@sanskaarkulkarni1036]

That would be expensive af. And that's a monopoly

[@vipuljain5683]

What about ZS, it's tier?

[@siddarth4144]

Does cfa certification provide job in foreign countries

[@gianlucagreco1369]

"And on Fridays [...] having shorter days that end from 1pm to 5pm." I sincerely wish that was close to reality

[@tonyjk]

Where do you work?

[@Matt18762]

Did he really say that consulting focuses on work-live balance?! that guy has never seen work-live-balance..

[@K2002ish]

what is deloittes strategy arm?