Best time to lateral firms?

For those who want to stay within IB for the long-term, what is the best time to lateral firms? I have seen people advise ASAP, and others say wait until you get promoted to Associate.

6,449 WSO Academy Investment Banking Session Reviews: 4.82/5

Class of '29 Sep 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Investment Banking Mock Interview

“Very patient in explanation and was very good at walking me through some of the concepts without giving anything away. Great job breaking up the material and asking questions outside of the 400 guide which really tested my knowledge on some of the more basic concepts I thought I had a good understanding of, but might need to learn a little more. Will continue to schedule Consatantin as I thought the overall ease of the scheduling was nice, and he was more that available to go over the origonal time we had planned out.”

Class of '28 Jun 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Investment Banking 7 Stories Review

“Michael was a huge help getting me ready for my Lazard HireVue. I came in with a lot of good material but my answers were running long and I kept rambling through my stories. He walked me through each one and helped me cut them down so they were concise and hit the main points without losing what makes them mine. He was honest about what was not working and gave me clear ways to fix it instead of just general advice. I left the call feeling way more confident and organized going into the interview. I would definitely work with him again.”

See All 11,821 WSO Academy Reviews

2 Comments

The Pharma Guy

CS

8y

I'm assuming you're an analyst at this point. My understanding is that you wait 12-18 months to have some experience to fuel the move.

Reply

Quote

Report

Other

Authored by: Certified Corporate Strategy Professional - DirectorCertified Corporate Strategy Pro

Finance Amigo

IB

8y

Most Helpful

Cum deserunt distinctio iste accusantium expedita est. Quibusdam et et numquam officiis non.

Omnis vero molestias sit qui ea. Omnis reiciendis eos nesciunt autem quia debitis. Magni corrupti nemo blanditiis corporis ipsum ipsam maiores illo.

Voluptatibus voluptatum id ut quo. Suscipit fuga optio voluptates eum. Velit dolores aliquam voluptatibus sit iste et.

+299	I Snuck Into UBS Office And Took A Shit On The Floor	28	11h
+287	TPH V.S. Mizuho [HOU]	36	1d
+244	Why leave restructuring for M&A?	30	11h
+229	Best Power/Renewables/Energy Teams?	38	9h
+223	Houston 2026 Oil & Gas Investment Banking Rankings	53	17m
+187	Centerview HC group falling off?	30	10h
+183	Actual EB List	27	20h
+177	Predicted 1Q 2027 Story - UBS IB blames Outlook Outage for Down Quarter	35	1h
+173	Incoming TPH Analysts Larping as PWP on LinkedIn	24	2h
+167	How does getting staffed on an "account" work?	40	1h

1	redever	99.2
2	BankonBanking	99.0
3	Secyh62	99.0
4	kanon	99.0
5	DrApeman	98.9
6	CompBanker	98.9
7	dosk17	98.9
8	GameTheory	98.9
9	Betsy Massar	98.9
10	Jamoldo	98.8

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Best time to lateral firms?

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Best time to lateral firms?

See All Comments - 100% Free

Trending Content - Investment Banking Forum