WSO,
So I have been in a Big 4 Valuation group for ~6 months or so and I am starting to feel the itch to make a jump towards one side of the transaction space. Given my lack of experience in actual deal generation, I feel that sell-side will give me more opportunity to become knowledgeable on entire deal structuring and overall strategies before establishing a career in buy-side.
I have worked on pre-deal advisory for the formulation of pro-forma statements in order to support an acquirers sources of funds build up, purchase price allocations, 409a analyses for a venture capital firm, total shareholder returns/return on invested capital analysis for a C-suite, and a consulting engagement involving leverage capacity calculations based on a client's target credit rating. All of these projects are mixed in with audit review, which is essentially modelling/finance best practices exercises.
If an investment banker was looking at my resume and having a conversation with me about what I did in the role, what would be some of the key observations/what should I focus on. I also just completed my CFA Level 1 and am a CPA.
Where would my opportunities stretch from here? Should I be targeting very small boutiques or would I have a chance for an MM in a major financial center or even BB/EB (assuming I network my ass off)?
I appreciate any insights!
-Val
Focus on the modeling skills that you've learned in your current role and how they will give you a solid baseline skill set coming into IB. Say you enjoy the modeling work, but want to use the skills to help drive deals rather than just value them for financial reporting purposes.
Feel free to PM me - I made a similar move a couple years ago and remember all too well how frustrating it can be to go through the lateral process. As far as where to target, cast a wide net. I interviewed at firms as small as 4 people to better known MMs (Mac., BMO, etc.) before winding up at a boutique shop with ~15 people.
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