Vault’s Verdict

Moelis is ideally looking for well-rounded, hardworking, intellectually curious candidates with leadership capabilities, financial knowledge, and strong communication skills. For students, the firm runs an excellent internship program, providing interns with significant senior banker interaction, a lot of responsibility on live deals, a mentorship program, and networking opportunities. For full-time junior bankers, Moelis also provides significant early responsibility on live deals, exposure to senior bankers, and access to a leadership development program in partnership with Wharton. Additionally, Moelis Academy, offers continuous learning online and in person and ongoing speaker series’ featuring internal and external leaders, and more.

Although significant live deal work means hours can be long, Moelis values work/life balance, encouraging employees to fully disconnect when out of the office. In addition, the firm hosts a wellness week and brings various services in office to help employees relax and recharge. Moelis offers competitive salaries, bonuses, and benefits with its health insurance, parental leave, and mental health and wellness initiatives receiving rave reviews from the firm’s insiders.

Moelis is also very focused on D&I initiatives, as evidenced by its many Employee Network Groups, including Asian & Allies, Black and African American & Allies, Latino and Hispanic & Allies, Pride, Veterans & Allies and Women & Allies at Moelis. The firm also has a strong partnership with various diversity organizations and targeted experiential learning initiatives and recruiting programs for college sophomores, veterans, and MBA students. 

As for business outlook, insiders say Moelis’ deal flow is strong and the firm is trending in the right direction. The firm is a leader in both M&A and restructuring, meaning it’s well positioned to succeed in all economic climates. Moelis continues to grow into new regions and new industries (sports, gaming and crypto) as the market environment evolves. The firm’s leadership team is among the best on the Street and has the full confidence of the wider Moelis team.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Hiring Process

“The callback process is really great. You receive a call from the banker you interviewed with initially if you’re getting an offer. And if you aren’t getting an offer, you don't receive a call. The ideal candidate for Moelis is someone with a gung-ho attitude, can carry themselves professionally and articulate well, but most importantly will really expend effort to connect with their fellow bankers and develop a strong working relationship with those around them.”

“We have a very fair and competitive interview process. We have clearly defined job descriptions and a rigorous resume review process to ensure we’re bringing in top talent to our firm. We keep interviews streamlined and timely to ensure accuracy and equality. There are often several rounds of interviews to ensure we have different perspectives and that we are collectively coming to the right hiring decision. There is also a robust reference check process so we have further insight into the candidate’s prior experiences.”

“We hold formal interview processes for candidates, including first-round interviews and Super Days. The ideal candidate has strong financial knowledge and is a well-balanced candidate who works well with others, displays leadership capabilities, and communicates well with others.”

“Moelis is looking for hardworking, creative, curious people who are interested in working together to tackle the most pressing matters our clients face. The people who succeed here are ones who, generally speaking, are the most organized, proactive, and relentless.”

Interview Questions

“Tell me about a complex deal that you worked on. What made it challenging and what was your approach? How would you describe your management style? Provide an example of how you partnered with other business units and how you leveraged resources to get a presentation done.”

“I was primarily asked about my experience and who I am as a person, as an employee and also as an individual. Additionally, there was one case question where we were given an inquiry from a fake client and were asked to respond to the best of our abilities.”

“Our interview process is very competitive. Candidates meet with several folks within the business ranging in level and are assessed on their technical competencies, as well as their soft skills. Candidates are given assessments to further test their capabilities and their thought processes before advancing to final interviews.”

“Interview questions tend to focus on fit and technical questions—typical three financial statement questions, paper LBO, returns analysis, levers and impacts on a DCF, accounting knowledge, etc.”

Intern Experience

“Lots of senior banker and client interactions, heavy involvement on live deals. You’re functioning effectively as an analyst towards the later part of the internship.”

“Treated as a valued member of the team. Given real responsibility for deliverables and forced to take them from start to finish. Great people and office environment.”

“Great mentorship program to bring you up to speed. A lot of activities and opportunities to meet various groups and senior bankers (formal and informal setting). Good mix of responsibility on live deals.”

“The best aspect was the level of responsibility I was given. I was treated like a full-time associate. VPs and EDs respected my opinion and didn't task me with entry-level work like aligning logos and creating distribution lists. If we were on a call with a client and there was a question about work I’d created, the VP or ED trusted my ability to speak to it on the call. Additionally, we were given almost no fake ‘summer projects’ that were not based on live coverage or transactions. The most challenging aspect was the fact that networking throughout the summer was still expected. Some of the MBA interns from less ‘target’ schools would network/schedule coffee chats with full-time employees for one to three hours per day. So, for those who were more focused on work product, there was pressure to also schedule networking time to avoid looking uninterested.”

Career Development

“The best aspect of my firm’s career development is the manner in which all differing levels of bankers interact, integrate, and inspire one another. This allows for a tighter knit dynamic across the banker hierarchy. We have a dedicated mentor program as well, for analyst and associate bankers, where they are partnered up with a higher-up colleague to meet with regularly for guidance and support. In addition, we have internal programs like the Moelis-Wharton Leadership Development program, which our bankers can attend for a week. This specific program is devoted to education and team building, all in the name of enhancing our ability to serve our clients with the utmost of intelligence, support, and proactivity.”

“Moelis has many opportunities for employees to continue developing in their careers. We have an online portal called Moelis Academy where employees can search any topic they would like to develop, whether they want to develop business knowledge or technical skills. They also partner with Wharton to provide a leadership development program to select bankers. Moelis also offers an ongoing speaker series featuring both internal and external leaders to provide employees with additional insights into business and personal leadership topics.”

“Our firm is very strong at building and retaining talent. Moelis values its employees and always seeks opportunities for them to evolve further as professionals. We have mentors, a clearly structured promotion process, continued learning initiatives, speaker series, etc. The performance evaluation process also allows for individuals to clearly outline their goals and understand where they measure against these goals.”

“No limit to what you can get involved with. Accessible leaders who will invest time in helping you navigate the path to promotion and building skills to effectively advise clients. Investment in formal learning programs is targeted and relevant.”

Quality of Life

“The best aspect of our quality of life is that we frequently have internal events to connect our team members outside of work, catering once a week to take the pressure off providing food for oneself every day, and a wellness week where we bring in various services to help everyone relax, recharge, and reinvigorate. Additionally, we have tremendous respect for time off and vacation; we are encouraged to fully take work off when we take time out of the office. This is encouraged so that we come back to work feeling ready to get back into it and tackle the coming challenges head on.”

“Moelis is very supportive of work/life balance. They are more accommodating to the needs of the employees than any investment bank I know. Senior Leadership is very focused on promoting an inclusive, supportive and productive culture.”

“Senior leaders are respectful of your time and want people to rest and recharge. The investment banking deal timelines make that difficult, but it is nice to see that people genuinely care and do what they can to help people balance their work and life priorities.”

“Moelis truly values a work/life balance. The firm offers a competitive vacation allotment in addition to public holidays. Having protected time off shows that the firm understands that folks need to take time to enjoy their personal life outside of the work environment and really decompress. Teams are good about covering for one another to ensure people can take the time they need.”

Salary and Benefits

“The pay is great and reflects the work I have put in year after year. They also offer great benefits, and there are weekly perks I take advantage of.”

“We truly have an incredible compensation package here at Moelis. We are given comprehensive benefits that extend beyond that of the average offering. The Moelis package includes medical, dental, vision, and basic life/AD&D insurance, as well as the option to open an HSA (Health Savings Account), enroll with a virtual doctor through Teladoc, and, last but absolutely not least, sign up for Lyra Health, where you are connected with a mental health professional to navigate your emotions and work on developing plans to grow!”

“Moelis offers a competitive compensation structure alongside benefits. Some of these perks include a 401(k), medical, dental, vision, etc. Additionally, the firm has prioritized mental health and provides free therapy services to all employees and their dependents on an annual basis. Another perk that stands out is our Diversity Day where each employee can take a paid day annually to devote to diversity. It is clear the firm values its talent and wants them to feel invested in and supported.”

“The benefits are fantastic. Moelis covers a large part of the medical premiums for its employees We have a generous 401(k) match, maternity leave is longer than my peers, and they have prioritized their mental health offerings.”

Wellness Efforts

“We have many efforts to help with wellness, both within our benefits package and also throughout the year with events and services to aid in the same domain. We have Lyra Health, which is a full physical and mental health suite where you are able to connect to a mental health professional that matches your needs and receive 12 free sessions per year! This spearheads Moelis' endeavor to mount the obtuse intensity of the industry as a whole. No doubt banking is a cutthroat space to be in, but it is in doubt how many firms try do something about it. Moelis is special in that way. We have tight relationships with our fellow colleagues, which allows for a natural flow of check-ins, keeping people cared for and understood. Our culture permits this because of the way we all interact, even across departments and levels of career.”

“New mental health provider this year: Lyra. The firm also has a very friendly approach for those who need to take time for their own mental health and encourages employees to speak up when they might need some help.”

“Moelis offers many wonderful programs for mental and psychical health. They offer counseling, even paying for 12 therapy sessions a year, and benefits cover any additional needs I may have. Additionally, they offer discounts on gym memberships, do wellness week twice a year (includes massages, reflexology, etc.), and provide healthy snacks and lunches.”

“The firm provides extensive resources for wellness. They recently added a new virtual counseling resource. Several colleagues have used the services and have shared positive experiences. The firm also provides yearly in-office wellness events that I enjoy.

Diversity and ESG Initiatives

“Moelis supports all employees, including through employee networks and mentorship. Moelis continues to focus on bringing in top diverse talent through campus recruiting by providing MBA fellowships and partnering with various diversity organizations (Forte, Out of Undergrads, BLK Capital Management). They also host undergraduate programs for military veterans and a leadership development program for current sophomores to help learn the IB analyst role.“

“Strong focus on diversity and inclusion, as reflected in high proportion of women leadership—former COO was female; current COO is also female. Several directors of company are also diverse. Employee networks cover different ethnicities, genders, and orientations, which have a high proportion of employee involvement.”

“My favorite aspect of our firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts is that they feel genuine and not tokenistic. It is not simply a hiring of minority status individuals to satisfy a quota. The internal PRIDE program is really great and allows for even allies to join. I think this is a huge plus because it means that while the minority groups are being cared for, they are not being alienated, but instead integrated further with the greater team body.”

“The military veteran recruiting pipeline and support network is the best on the Street—and it’s not close. This goes all the way up to leadership, including Ken Moelis and Eric Cantor, who heavily push for veterans recruiting. Also, Moelis does a lot to give back to the community. They let us decide on where we choose to give our time and efforts to. We just did an event for Heal the Bay that we collectively voted on. Earlier in the year, we worked with a program for foster children.”

Business Outlook

“Leadership is the best in the industry. They value their people, are focused on growth, and invest heavily in our expansion. Ken and the executive team instill confidence during our firmwide calls and have a good vision for the firm and what we need to do to achieve our goals.”

“Things are very busy and our business model is differentiated in that we aren’t as susceptible to public market swings or as exposed to external risks. We are strictly an advisory business built upon the leadership of the firm and then supported by others who build upon those relationships. We have a strong brand name and put a lot of effort into offering unconflicted advice that is in the best interests of the client.”

“As leaders in both M&A and restructuring, we’re positioned well for whatever the economic conditions are. I have great faith in Ken Moelis, Bill Derrough, and Eric Cantor. We’re also making great pushes into hot regions/industries such as sports, gaming, and the Middle East.”

“Moelis is trending in the right direction. We have increased our deal flow while continuing to build meaningful client relationships. We are in growth mode and have been given business opportunities to expand our portfolio and drive efficiencies.”