ECM Exits

See a lot of people always saying ECM analysts cannot exit. Being it's still in IBD and you still get exposure to companies + IPOs/Private Placements/SPACs, is it still possible to exit to Corp Strategy, VC, Growth Equity, or Corporate Development within the industry you might work on? I understand you're missing quite a bit of the skills + modeling developed in M&A, but with some extra networking, can you still crack some of these exits?

16 Comments
 

Are hedge funds a possibility with more bespoke ECM groups such as the convertibles group?

 

Saying convert arb HF don't hire from convert groups? You're joking right 

The group with the most direct exposure and contacts to PM at all the top arb shops? lmao

And convert not doing private credit - what are you kidding. You have full exposure across both ECM / DCM. Those exits are well available to anyone in converts especially. 

Please don't opine on something you don't know about. 

 
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As someone who worked in a converts group at a BB, you can 100% go to a Convert HF (De Shaw, Citadel, Linden, Lazard, etc). That guy is just wrong, you literally pick up everything they do (+ more) on the job. The kind of modeling those guys want is focused on convertible pricing, not financial modeling as they care about volatility and delta hedging.

 
Convert group exits are surprisingly decent (excluding PE) as I’ve seen people go to HFs, top MBA, derivatives trading, AM, Coverage, SLF, and M&A. No PE. Internally lateraling is also quite easy as you deal with almost every group in the bank and people always assume your super smart as no one knows what a call spread is.

Just go to one of GS, JPM, MS, or BoA as they literally do all of the deals and have the best teams on the streets.

 

No way on VC, growth equity, PE. Corp strat / corp dev you might be able to get into a smaller company if they're looking to IPO and you know their industry from covering it in ECM, but it's a much easier move from coverage. They are really looking for the modeling skills which you just don't pick up in ECM

Networking doesn't really work in industries where HH control the recruiting. If you want to do traditional exits, lateral at 1 year to coverage. Investor relations is a common exit from ECM but there is absolutely no way you're getting to the deal side of GA or Insight from that seat, sorry - just move to coverage first.

 

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