How to lateral?

I’m starting FT this summer at a LMM/MM and want to lateral to a place like blair or baird. I know the lateral market is dead right now, but can anyone who has done this explain to me how to plan for it?

Is it the same as when i just cold emailed hundreds of people to get my SA? How do you make networking calls if you’re on the desk all day?

I just want to have a game plan going into my start dare in June so that I don’t miss out whenever the mkt opportunity arises in my 1st year.

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In this market you should wait for openings to post online, and then network with people in that specific group. No use networking with 500 people when 480 of them will not be hiring any laterals. For calls, just book a small conference room on a different floor and say you had a meeting or were grabbing coffee with someone. Or if you have any WFH days, stack them on that day.

No one is going to take you seriously until at least your 6-8 month mark, so I would hold off on networking or applying until then. 

 

Does any have info on what the interview process is like? How similar to initial FT process? Behavioral and technicals?… or is there more of an emphasis on deal history?

 

Within 1 year it will be very similar to the FT process, definitely study up on technicals and refresh your behavioral answers to use workplace examples instead of "this project I did with my class..."

Maybe 30% of the time is about deals - realistically you've probably only worked on a handful of fulsome deals. Typically you'll get asked to walk through one or two deals and your role on it so be prepared with that. If you happen to have an announced transaction, expect to go through it in more detail

 

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