BACKGROUND: 10 years of PWM and a Master's in something finance related. I recently switched from personal finance because I wanted to work with other professionals instead of idiots who listen to Suze Orman.
NEW JOB: Financial Analyst/Business Analyst at a mid-sized company (revenue over 200M). It's more than your typical FP&A job with heavy forecasting. There's a lot of ad-hoc work and even some M&A action since we acquire one company a year. Let's assume that I'm there for 2-4 years and then get promoted from analyst to senior analyst.
Here are my potential exits once I hit senior financial analyst. Please comment on A) how attractive it is and B) how likely it is to work out.
1. Stay at same company, which is growing rapidly. Hope that my career grows as the company grows. Try to hit "corporate finance manager rank" there.
2. Leverage my title to become a senior financial analyst at a Fortune 500
3. Leverage my business analysis experience into an equity research position.
4. Become an associate at an investment bank, in some "business analyst" role.
5. Move from FPA into exclusive "corporate development"
I'm open minded to hearing ideas. I know that corporate finance has less glamour and exit opps when compared to iBanking but I know I still have options!
Just trying to give some honest advice based on my experience, I used to be in a FLDP for 2 years.
1 and #2 most feasible. I think you'd enjoy current company a lot more than a F500. F500 roles are very structured.
4 what do you mean by business analyst role vs associate? You can try to leverage your job into an associate role but I think this will be very hard unless your masters have a strong alumni base that can help.
5 I have heard of this happening, though more rare than if you were from IB. Search the forums and you'll find a few posts about it.
My suggestion is stay and grow, you'll move up a lot faster and then lateral once you get a high title.
When I say "business analyst" role, I mean something analytical that leverages my corporate finance knowledge. For example, going into an investment bank to do Equity Research, business analyst, but NOT go into a bank's technology division just so I can brag about working at a BB. I'm guessing that if I can't even move into corporate development, moving into Private Equity is out of the question?
I agree with you that #1 and #2 seem most feasible. How does an MBA play into that timeline?
Seems to me that 3, 4, and 5 would be very difficult without an MBA (not impossible, but 5 is the most likely of those but again very low chance). 1 and 2 are very doable.
So if you want a chance at the others, you need an MBA (preferably Top 15). With 10 years of PWM and a Masters, I'm assuming you might be a little older (in your 30's I assume). And being an analyst in corporate finance might be a hindrance since it doesn't show upper projection. Maybe wait until you get promoted to Senior Analyst to get an MBA? Or else I would just gun for the first 2. Sorry to be so glum chum.
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