10 Great Investment Banks To Work For In 2016

In the world of high finance, not all investment banks are equal. That fact holds true regarding their revenue, of course, but also as work environments.


In such a high-pressure industry, it’s important to know what current and former employees have to say about firms before you choose which you’d like to pursue for a career. To that end, each year career information site, Vault.com, conducts a study of those in the industry to find out which banks are great to work for—their positives as well as their shortcomings.

Recently Vault released the results of its latest survey, ranking the top 50 based on the testimony of some 3,000 bankers. The company asked for feedback on categories like prestige, culture, compensation, business outlook, satisfaction and training. We folded the results of the top 10 into a special slideshow which you can read below.

Karsten Strauss ,  FORBES STAFF
A journalist covering leadership, business, entrepreneurs and careers.

Vault.com recently unveiled its ranking of the best investment banks to work for, based on prestige, culture, compensation and other factors. (Image Credit: Shutterstock)

In the world of high finance, not all investment banks are equal. That fact holds true regarding their revenue, of course, but also as work environments.

In such a high-pressure industry, it’s important to know what current and former employees have to say about firms before you choose which you’d like to pursue for a career. To that end, each year career information site, Vault.com, conducts a study of those in the industry to find out which banks are great to work for—their positives as well as their shortcomings.

Recently Vault released the results of its latest survey, ranking the top 50 based on the testimony of some 3,000 bankers. The company asked for feedback on categories like prestige, culture, compensation, business outlook, satisfaction and training. We folded the results of the top 10 into a special slideshow which you can read below.

Gallery
10 Great Investment Banks To Work For In 2016
Launch Gallery
11 images

According to the results of Vault.com’s survey, the top tier includes some large well-known firms, as well as some relatively new ones.

One firm that cracked the top 3 this year was Centerview Partners. Based in New York City, the decade-old firm was founded by UBS Vice Chairman Blair Effron and former Wasserstein Perella CEO Robert Pruzan. According to the feedback Vault received from employees of the organization, working there offers “great analyst camaraderie and helpfulness; other analysts are smart, hardworking, and happy to help out where possible.” The M&A focus provides ample opportunities to learn about that side of the finance realm and compensation is, according to one employee, the “highest compensation on the Street—by a wide margin.”

On the downside, the work is intense. As one employee was quoted: “Very demanding and unpredictable hours—when things get busy, they get very, very busy.” Also, there are no formal policies surrounding work-life balance and the firm is largely unknown in the broader industry.

Ranking number two on Vault’s list is well known finance power Morgan Stanley. Respondents to the survey lauded the firm’s intelligent workers, top tier clients, development opportunities and prestige. On the downside, they point to the high pressure, long hours, and the office politics and slow-moving decision making that is possibly a side effect of the organization’s size. They also decry the Times Square location.

The top spot on Vault’s list – up from number two last year – is Goldman Sachs. Those in the know spoke out about the firm’s demanding hours, stress-inducing workload and political red tape. On the plus side, one employee said those on the GS team are “working with the brightest, most talented, and hardest working people in the industry—both at the firm and at our clients.” Others pointed out the firm nurtures a “collaborative, inclusive, innovative culture,” and offers great opportunities to learn and advance.