Bidding three markets: NYC, SF/SV, and LA? Forum

[Anonymous User]

3.4x + 24 months F500/Big4 fulltime WE at NYU. UG and family in Bay Area but no solid ties to LA(except little brother and love warm weather) but would definitely be willing to work there. Want corp and want to be in CA (realizing Ca corp is SV + LA). OK to bid 30-40 NYC and remaining 10-20 on big class size firms in SF/SV/LA or just stick to NYC and Bay Area only? I've heard advice not to bid on three markets, but I'm wondering if since one market is NYC and the other is "CA" is this OK? Would it be hard to explain a desire to be in LA to a LA corp heavy firm like Latham/Skadden why I want to be there? Also, LA firms have some bigger class sizes than the non SF/SV heavy hitter firms so it actually might help than dropping big LA/CC firms in exchange for interviews with smaller SF/SV class size firms.

ty!!

[IFoughtTheLaw]

3.4x + 24 months F500/Big4 fulltime WE at NYU. UG and family in Bay Area but no solid ties to LA(except little brother and love warm weather) but would definitely be willing to work there. Want corp and want to be in CA (realizing Ca corp is SV + LA). OK to bid 30-40 NYC and remaining 10-20 on big class size firms in SF/SV/LA or just stick to NYC and Bay Area only? I've heard advice not to bid on three markets, but I'm wondering if since one market is NYC and the other is "CA" is this OK? Would it be hard to explain a desire to be in LA to a LA corp heavy firm like Latham/Skadden why I want to be there? Also, LA firms have some bigger class sizes than the non SF/SV heavy hitter firms so it actually might help than dropping big LA/CC firms in exchange for interviews with smaller SF/SV class size firms.

ty!!

Take what I say with a grain of salt because I have no experience to back up these presumptions, but:

LA might be tough to sell. I can see people thinking you'll jump just ship to the bay area as soon as possible. Maybe there's some way you can spin it? For example, I'm considering the same three markets, with ties to LA in NY only, but I want the bay area due to tech/start-up firms like Wilson Sonsini. There's nowhere in LA I could flee to that does that kind of work.

[Anonymous User]

Makes sense. I was just wondering how distinct the two markets were. I mean, given that there is no real corporate work in Sf, it would seam like La would be the natural place to look to someone who wants corp work in CA and has ties to the state.

[Anonymous User]

any other advice/ people in a similar spot?

[Rotor]

There is more corp in SV than you might expect, especially M&A and private equity. They are smaller offices and have smaller classes in general, but the work is there.

With your grades and WE out of NYU, I think you are probably in good shape in NYC. If CA is where you want to be, I would probably take more shots in CA. Since it is the tougher market, you want to take more shots in hopes that one hits the target.

Also, I think "I want to do corporate" + "I'm from California" will be sufficient; adding "I want to be close to my brother" will certainly be enough.