Headhunters for after sell side BB

So… after some time in sell side ER zar a BB, I want to leave. Only headhunters that reached out to me were Alexander Chapman, Mercury Partners, and some at select HFs. What other headhunters would take a look at me? I emailed a bunch and they didn’t give me the time of day which seemed like someone else had had the same exact experience on here. Thoughts?

15 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights and recommendations regarding headhunters for transitioning from sell-side ER at a bulge bracket (BB):

  1. Direct Contacts and Networking:

    • It's often more effective to leverage genuine connections within your targeted bank rather than relying solely on headhunters. Building a network can sometimes yield better results.
  2. Headhunters for Experienced Hires:

    • While in-house recruiting teams at bulge bracket banks often handle analyst and associate classes, headhunters are more commonly used for experienced hires. If you have significant experience, you might find more success with headhunters who specialize in lateral hires.
  3. Specialized Areas:

    • In highly specialized areas, headhunters might offer less value as the candidate pool is well-known. However, in more generalized spaces like private equity, headhunters are used more frequently.
  4. Recommendations:

    • If you haven't had success with the headhunters who reached out to you, consider reaching out to firms that specialize in your area of interest. Some headhunters might refer you to others if they don't handle your specific type of recruiting.
  5. Cold Calls and Referrals:

    • Good headhunters often get their hands on class lists from bulge brackets and cold call potential candidates. If you work at a smaller shop, you might need to reach out proactively.
  6. Avoiding Unreliable Headhunters:

    • Be cautious of headhunters who try to place you in roles that don't align with your career goals. It's important to ensure that the job descriptions match your aspirations and avoid those that seem misleading.
  7. List of Headhunters:

    • While specific names of headhunting firms are not provided in the context, it is suggested to reach out to multiple firms and see if they can refer you to others if they don't specialize in your area.
  8. Engaging with Headhunters:

    • When engaging with headhunters, be clear about your career goals and the types of firms you are targeting. This can help them better match you with suitable opportunities.

If you need more specific recommendations or further assistance, you might want to explore related topics on WSO or reach out to professionals in your network who have successfully transitioned from sell-side ER.

Sources: Best Headhunting Shops ?, Q&A: Headhunter/Recruiter - M&A Investment Banking, Transitioning from IB/ER to HF Series - Part 2: Where to Interview and Behaviorals, Q&A:Big 4 Audit to Boutique M&A Shop, Are you interviewing with any other banks/firms?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Unfortunately this has been my experience too. I had a couple SMs reach out early on the job but I’m pretty sure they just wanted to expand their search pool and I wasn’t taken seriously nor was I completely ready for that anyways. All that has gone away (maybe due to bad market) and the only headhunter interaction I get is from the common shitty ones. Based on what I hear from peers, that’s fairly common.

 

Still very junior in my role - what changed that made them not look at ER anymore?

 
Most Helpful

Just a guess but it’s definitely correlated to the popularity of IB. I think it used to be that those interested in public markets would join ER and those interested in M&A/deal work joined IB. While this is still true, it’s like IB has become the place for everyone including those interested in public markets despite the difference in day to day. The talent pipeline moved to IB where people were willing to work harder and longer hours and that’s what these firms valued. At the same time, the buyside figured out they could just teach juniors from scratch instead of having to correct some skills learned on the sellside. The value mostly shifted from skillset and industry knowledge to “raw talent”, work ethic, and modeling skills.

Sometimes I regret not doing IB but then I quickly remember that I like my day to day job and don’t have to work 80 hours a week. Pros and cons. I’m at the point in my life where interesting things are happening outside of my career so I’m really happy with my decision and thinking about moving to an even less work-oriented job/career path.

 

It doesn't. I was at a MM ER shop and lateraled to BB ER believing more opportunities would open up.

The BB ER analyst was also top 10 in the sector.

That hasn't really happened. I still only get interviews at the MMHFs.

Most of my colleagues who worked for #1/2 ranked analysts in my sector have only gone to MMHF (and not Citadel even, C notoriously seems to lean to people with prev buyside experience/coming from IB), haven't seen anyone break into a large or mid sized SM or LO.

 

Totam architecto aliquid inventore qui beatae autem. Voluptas aut ipsam atque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”