Laid Off IB Analyst - Can't Find a Job

Got laid off in December from a LMM bank in NYC. Was an analyst there in M&A for about 10 months. Been about 6 months now and still haven't landed anything. Have gotten so close a couple times but the role went to another person each time. Just so disheartened - no idea how to get my career back on track. Difficult to even get interviews for jobs I have no interest in. Have sent out thousands of emails and have had hundreds of networking calls that lead no where. Just so few opportunities out there right now. Any advice / leads would be much appreciated. Just feel so beaten down.

Rather not say publicly - but got laid off right before I was supposed to get my bonus so they screwed me there

Just power through it -- I know you're bumming, probably feeling lost, powerless regarding the recruiting process. It sucks now, and probably will suck for a few more months, but keep doing what you're doing -- sending out emails, doing networking calls. Trust me, one of those is going to come through at some point. Just be like a machine: okay, I'm doing five emails a day, just be mindless, tailor your emails a bit and send them out. At least you'll feel good about being productive and putting yourself in the position to move forward and succeed. In the meantime, just get any job (even part time) to make some dough. Chin up, it'll happen.  

Most Helpful

To add to this, just stay positive. Additionally, sometimes your resume can appear too "IB-focused". When I had multiple internships in IBD on my resume and was looking at non-IB / Consulting FT jobs, I was rejected from every single other industry position I blind applied for. FP&A, Corp Dev, Strat Finance, etc. Oftentimes people assume you only really want IB jobs and are sending out apps elsewhere as a sort of safety net. 

Try and leverage recruiters, presumably you have already utilized your rolodex, but if not, reach out to any one in finance. Just know that it sucks for everyone right now and there is a very large gap between the supply of qualified candidates like yourself and the demand for even mediocre roles in finance. For the job postings that do exist, I'd recommend trying to network as much as possible. 

Make sure you are taking care of yourself as well, eating right and exercising regularly. It may also be worthwhile to look for part time jobs just to pay rent and to avoid eating through the entirety of your savings. 

Best of luck to you, hang in there and don't give up.

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