Associate leaving after 6 months
Do you ever see mba associates leave after 6 months? If so where do they go?
I’m 6 months in and really not liking the job. I love finance and markets but this job is mind numbing to me and I’m not sure that it’s worth the hours. I don’t want to make a stupid decision that I’ll regret but I’d love to hear what options are out there after this short of a stint.
I've seen an alumni leave after a few months and go into corporate development (tech)
Totally normal. Do whats right for you.
But make sure you have somewhere to land before you jump. It would be a huge mistake if you leave and then you discover the only place that will hire you is some QofE firm.
You can do it, but it looks much worse than some 22yo analyst leaving after 6mos. I would think you did an internship, and you had 2+ years to think about your career post-MBA. Shows a lack of introspection and maturity for someone who should have had a better plan. I would suggest waiting it out another year, and then no one will think twice.
Not OP, but do you think there is any difference in perception if leaving after a year in (i.e. next summer) or leaving after finishing first full year as an associate (so around Feb/March 2023)?
No post-MBA leaves after 12mos because at that point you’re only 4-5 months away from your first full bonus, which, especially with comp raises, will be significant. At that point you just stick it out for both the money and the padded time on the resume.
I feel this is a predicament for a lot of IB people. Can you describe your day to day that is so mind numbing?
Mostly sitting in PowerPoint. That and making small edits that will have zero impact on whether or not we win the mandate.
Serious question, did you not realize this when networking and doing your summer internship? Personally, I’m very upfront with prospective analysts and mba associates, letting them know they WILL eat shit for the first 12 months or so. It’s not to be mean, but to set expectations for what the real job is like and make sure people actually want to do this. It’s not easy to ramp up in either case, especially if your group is active and others don’t have a ton of time to be hands-on with you. And for a post-mba associates it only really gets better by Aso2 or Aso3 where you get to think more strategically and holistically, along with getting more client interaction.
Assuming you are in a sector team? Can try moving to M&A maybe if that is a choice? Do you guys pitch a lot?
Yes I’m in an industry group. My group does a decent amount of m&a as well I just haven’t been staffed on one yet. I don’t think I could transfer internally for awhile. I assume after the 1 year mark. My bank isn’t known to be a top m&a shop though
Would not recommend at all. I think you should stick it out for atleast 12 months. This is assuming that it’s manageable and not so bad that it’s taking a toll on your health or well-being.
Yeah I've seen it before and 100% of the time the exit is into corpdev. It's not the best look and you're better served finishing at least a year to solicit the best offers and opportunities. Being in any role less than a year, much less one you did an internship for and went through two years of b-school for is not a great look, unfortunately. Obviously it's great you've realized banking isn't for you but if anything do it for the optics and take the time to find something you're really interested in exiting to rather than viewing it as a convenient escape route.
Do whatever you want. Who cares if its a bad look. Chart your own path.
Most people think investment bankers are huge cuck losers anyways (srs).
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