How to secure a more senior role at another firm (lateral promotion)?

Hey guys,

I’ve often seen people change jobs and secure more senior positions along the process (e.g., leaving current firm as Associate and being hired as a VP elsewhere).

Based on my experience, this seems to be very uncorrelated with actual job performance. I’ve seen stellar Associates who got hired as VPs at comparable companies, but also people who got fired and managed to achieve the same outcome. I guess it’s much more about being great at interviewing rather than being actually great at the job.

Now, I’m close to my promotion cycle, I have a solid performance but I’m also not 100% happy with my work/team.

Thus I’m considering to apply for VP positions elsewhere (I’m an Associate), both to genuinely see how other firms operate and to hedge against the risk of not being promoted at my firm.

Happy to hear any words of wisdom on how to tackle this from a networking / interviewing perspective.

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