Value of BB Brand Equity

Young_Prof

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Please view this question from the perspective of someone looking at their first or second job out of college...

If you were offered two asset management jobs, one with a bulge-bracket bank and one with a smaller firm, would you need a premium (if so, how much?) to view the jobs as equal? The jobs are the same in other regards (city, responsibilities, hours, etc.).

I'm trying to get at how important the brand names are in this line of work. In other words, if one spends two years with [JP Morgan, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, etc.] versus two years with a relatively unknown smaller shop, how different do you think the exit opportunities will be?
 
brand name is very important. for your first job out of college, you'd have to have a very good reason NOT to take the BB offer over the smaller shop. potential for exit opportunities would likely be hugely different.
 
Thanks numi. In your opinion, do you think that any BB firms have particularly good reputations for asset management?
 
GSAM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, July 30, 2007 at 10:19AM by stylemog.
 
Thanks. Any others?

FWIW, just read a decent article on JP Morgan AM:

http://www.financialnews-us.com/?page=ushome&contentid=2348374781



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, July 30, 2007 at 10:23AM by Young_Prof.
 
Take the BB job. Two reasons: 1) It's more transportable. Every other firm, large or small, will know the name. 2) If you don't like it, there are numerous other opps. in house to explore.

GSAM is an obvious choice

BlackRock (formerly Merrill's MLIM unit)

It probably doesn't matter all that much for a first gig
 
Young_Prof, it will be very difficult to get a position in asset management at a BB without prior work experience. Most of them look for experienced hires, though GSAM has and does take students out of undergrad sometimes. If you get a position at a BB in asset management, I think you should take whatever you can get. I think you have the wrong mentality if you going into it thinking that you will be able to pick and choose (and all the more power to you if you actually can).
 
HoldSideAnalyst Wrote:
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> Look into leveraged credit at BSAM.


That was funny.
 
Numi, is it OK if I shot you a couple of quick questions over email? If so, instead of posting your address on here, you can just send me your address at [email protected]
 
Major asset management clients are trending towards independent houses.

BB asset management divisions often exist only to serve the interests of banking.

Conflicts of interest galore.
 
Young_Prof Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numi, is it OK if I shot you a couple of quick
> questions over email? If so, instead of posting
> your address on here, you can just send me your
> address at [email protected]


happy to help, send questions to porcupines AT gmaiI DOT com
 
BOMC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Take the BB job. Two reasons: 1) It's more
> transportable. Every other firm, large or small,
> will know the name. 2) If you don't like it, there
> are numerous other opps. in house to explore.
>

people who have questions/doubts about the merits of working at a BB firm early on in their career should keep in mind what BOMC stated so succinctly. in my experience, i do believe both points are true. as a third point, one should also add that if you don't like your working experience, there are numerous other opportunities OUTSIDE the house that you can explore, that simply aren't as readily available to middle market and boutique firms unless you can network your way in.
 
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