How do I work in Europe for a couple years without disrupting my long-term career path?
Hi All! I am an incoming summer IB analyst this summer hoping to work as a full-time investment banking analyst when I graduate.
I really want to move to Paris for a couple years in the near future (i.e., while in my 20s) to continue learning the French language (B2/C1 level right now). However, I would ultimately want to return to the US to work on the buy side and go to business school.
However, it feels that the financial services industry has a very particular, linear career path (IB analyst-> PE/HF associate -> B-School -> PE/HF you stay at until you make it to partner).
A couple questions, particularly for French professionals who have some knowledge on this subject:
1. What would be the best point for me to make this jump and be able to return to the US in a buy side role? Should I take an A2A promotion and transfer to a Paris office as an associate? And then recruit for buy side? Should I move to Paris after two years of private equity, and then go back to Business School?
2. How would I make this transition without being fluent in French (I'm open to other roles in financial services/business during my time in Paris, but obviously would prefer a role that isn't completely in English)?
3. I have an interest in HFs, particularly in the distressed space. Would trying to recruit for a role in a distressed debt HF/turnaround PE firm be a lot harder if I've been out of the US for a couple of years? Are there other roles in PE/the buy side in the US that are more open to Americans who have worked abroad?
4. Are there other things that I should be aware of?
I realize that I am probably making my professional life more complicated by jumping back and forth across the Atlantic, but I would prefer to live my life by doing what interests me, typical Wall Street career path be damned. Thus, I appreciate advice for how this can be done successfully.
The likelihood of you getting hired at a French bank without being fluent in the language is very unlikely. Also the French are assholes. If you’re Muslim or any type of brown just forget it bro.
Completely disagree. You will certainly find French people more racist than their British counterparts, but you can definitely find a job being muslim etc. Just check Lazard on Linkedin.
Not speaking french on the other hand will make it extremely difficult to find a job. The first reason is that interviews are in French. You can probably fool them with your B2/C1 though and in most large cap teams, your work will be in english anyway. Technicals are usually answered in english as well.
You could also try joining the French team based in London at PWP - you’d be surrounded by French people and will be closing deals in France, which would definitely help move later on in Paris.
PS: Centerview recently converted an intern into an analyst who does not speak French (a2/B1 level) for their Paris office.
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