IB London or Amsterdam? Lost my way, need to get back on track, HELP

Hi guys,

So, as the title suggests I’m quite unsure of how to proceed forward with my career and life in general. Any suggestions or input would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Firstly, a bit of a background on myself: In 2017 I completed an MSc. Finance degree at a top Dutch university (I believe the only kind of target school in the Netherlands; disclaimer: I am not Dutch and I do not speak Dutch), then I went on an exchange semester at a top Asian business school. During this time I also earned my CFA Level 1. After all this, unfortunately, I needed to move back to my home country (think CEE region) for personal reasons and for the past 1.5 years I’ve been working full-time at an M&A Advisory boutique, working on small deals. I was involved in the creation of CIMs, investor lists, modeling, DD process, etc.

My long-term plan was to get into international IB for 2-3 years after which I would like to transition to the buy-side at a mid-sized Continental European PE fund. It has recently happened that I am no longer required to stay home and here I am standing in my mid 20s worrying that my chances of breaking into international IB are decreasing drastically the more time passes since I’m out school, so I would like to make a step ASAP before it's too late.

I am considering London and Amsterdam and the main reason I’m writing this post is to ask for any suggestions on how should I proceed. I’m down-to-earth so I am not dreaming of getting into the TMT M&A team at JPM in London, but do you guys think I still have a chance of winning some offers at Tier 2/3 banks or MMs in London, or should I concentrate my efforts on the Netherlands?

In either case, which shops would you guys recommend first applying to given my background? Also, should I apply for summer internships, off-cycle, straight up analyst positions? I am a bit lost here, please help.

Thank you in advance and any input is highly appreciated!