Company: J-P-Morgan
Date: 2014-07-05
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

Investment Banking Analyst
Pros: As an analyst for 2 years, this was a great place to get started--lots of emphasis on mentorship and learning especially from the middle manager level.  Compensation was consistently at or above the Street median.  The deals you get to work with are usually large and impactful, due to J.P. Morgan's reputation and willingness to use its balance sheet to win deals.  The investment bank continues to be an area of investment for the firm as a whole.
Cons: While there was emphasis on mentorship from the VPs, there is no sense of that at the MD level--they are not helpful at all in post-banking recruiting for the most part.  Work-life balance remains an issue--I hear it's better now but there would always be large amount of work and expectation of availability at all times.  Deals are good but most deals you work on end up being debt deals, which are not the most marketable.  Exit opportunities remain second-tier, as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the elite boutiques (Moelis, Blackstone, Evercore, etc.) continue to place their analysts in the best positions after banking.