Private Debt Associate in London - Career Advice - I need help!

Hello,

This is my first post on this platform.

I am very concerned that I have pigeon-holed myself into a career path I do not want.

5.5 years ago I joined a small lower mid-market private credit fund in London (EBITDA  EUR 2-6m, ticket sizes are EUR 5-25m). I joined the firm, because the founder was a very senior guy at MS back in the day and I thought I would gain great experience. That turned out to be true to some extent, I have a good deal track record and I usually get staffed on the more complex situations, because the partners trust my judgement.

The problem is that I don't want to stay in lower mid-market private debt, because the type of deals overall do not excite me and the growth potential at my firm is fairly limited. I would like to move into special situations/distressed debt, but recruiters frequently tell me that I don't have the right background (the fact that I don't have a brand name on my CV might play a role as well).

You might ask yourself why I have stayed at this firm for a such a long time. The reason is I had some serious health issues to deal with over the past 2/3 years and I deprioritised my career planning as a result. I have sent many applications without much success and now I am asking myself whether I can put my career back on track.

Any advice would be much appreciated!