Career in IB after a 2yr gap
Should I continue pursuing a return to investment banking? Looking for honest perspectives.
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Best bet is if one of your prior groups is willing to take you back
For most groups, a 2 year gap will be a big question mark... there's just so many qualified candidates in the market that any red flags are going to be hard to get past.
If you burned out that hard, I would also really think carefully about returning. You might be in a better place mentally but the structure and hours of IB aren't going to be any different
Thanks, this is helpful and fair.
If you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate more guidance from your experience on two points:
1. Re-engaging prior teams.
- What specifically would you address vs. leave unsaid?
- Any framing you’ve seen work well for someone returning after burnout rather than being pushed out?
2. The 2-year gap as a red flag.
- When you say it’s a big question mark, what are the actual concerns on the hiring side? Skill atrophy? Stamina? Risk of repeat burnout? Signaling issues internally?
- Are there particular parts of the gap explanation that tend to raise alarms vs. reassure decision-makers?
I’m trying to understand what worries hiring managers in practice, so I can address those directly.
Appreciate any specifics you’re willing to share.
Surely you could have written that yourself instead of copy pasting an AI response
What’s wrong with using AI?
Hey, sorry if my use of AI caused any negative reaction. That wasn’t my intention.
Happy to hear any further input. Thanks a lot!
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