Lateral Recruitment (Changing Groups) Advice

Hi everyone,

Currently an Analyst at a MM (Lincoln, Canaccord, Oppenheimer, etc.) and I'm contemplating a lateral jump to an EB or BB. I currently sit in the special situations/Rx group, and was wondering how difficult it would be to switch into an M&A product group or a coverage group? I've worked on a few sell-sides/buy-sides as well as several capital raise transactions. Very little exposure to equity capital markets work (IPO's, FO's, etc.)

Main questions:

1. Is it common/feasible to make this jump? specifically from Rx to M&A/coverage

2. If I wait to get the associate bump, should I expect to be demoted to A1/A2?

Thanks all.