by meridith dennes | Sep 27, 2026 | Buy Side, Exit Opportunities, Lateral Recruiting
For most of the past decade, leaving banking was treated less as a decision than as a milestone. Most bankers exited after two years for private equity, growth equity, private credit, hedge funds, corporate development or other roles on the buy side. The appeal was... 
by meridith dennes | Sep 21, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Layoffs
The short answer Banks are still shrinking headcount, but mostly through performance-based cuts and other quiet tools, not classic reductions in force (RIFs). The two are different decisions. A RIF eliminates positions. A performance-based cut removes a person, and... 
by meridith dennes | Aug 21, 2026 | Campus Recruiting, Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Summer Internships
As predicted: this cycle’s summer analyst return-offer conversion is looking uneven. Wall Street Oasis threads describe some banks reportedly landing well below 70% — down from what’s typically a 70-90% range — and the explanation candidates say... 
by meridith dennes | Aug 21, 2026 | Campus Recruiting, Lateral Recruiting, News
Rogo raised its latest round at a valuation that pushed the company past $2 billion. The pitch, repeated across every piece of coverage, was simple: banks run leaner. Fewer juniors needed. The model-building, comp-pulling, deck-formatting grunt work that used to... 
by meridith dennes | Aug 7, 2026 | Compensation Trends, Lateral Recruiting
What Investment Bankers Can Actually Expect to Earn in 2026 | Prospect Rock Partners Record bank earnings and the biggest bonus upgrade in years tell one story. A wave of headcount cuts and a boutique that just posted a 91% net income drop in a boom quarter tell... 
by meridith dennes | Aug 6, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Summer Internships
Why Recruiter Outreach Misses the Mark | Prospect Rock Partners Prospect Rock Partners Submit Resume → Candidate Database Refresh Why Recruiter Outreach Misses the Mark — And What We're Doing About It If you've spent any real time in investment banking, you've had...