Lateral Interview Question

Currently a 2nd year analyst at a BB which is not doing that great. Have a lateral interview coming up for a stronger (top 3) BB for the same industry group. Reason I want to switch is that my firm is losing people and I'm not getting as strong experience as I'd like. Also exit opps from here are tougher.

What's the best way to position the answer though when the new BB asks me why I want to leave my firm / why I want to join theirs? Obviously I don't want to throw myself / my firm under the bus by saying it sucks / I haven't gotten good experience. Any tips on the right approach? Thanks in advance.

 

saying something like culture doesn't fit, want a bigger group, etc always helps.

obviously they know you are jumping because their group is better. As long as you can demonstrate that you can do the work and know your technicals inside and out, it will be fine.

 
Best Response

Lets take this out of context.

You want a new girlfriend. You ask a girl out, she says , why me. You say, because my ex is was really bad, we didn't get on, we grew apart etc. Now none of that involves her. She doesnt want to become that ex 6 months down the line.

Reverse the above, put it back into context and voila, you have your answer.

 

First step is clearly defining what about your current experience you don't like - whether it's not getting enough deal experience or whatever. Next step is articulating it in a way that makes you not come off like damaged goods while trumping up how good your prospective employer is in that area. Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions because I have some friends who may have made a similar move as what you're contemplating.

 

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