Left DCM for corporate, now regretting choices

Hi all. I spent 2 years at a BB doing DCM and ended up leaving for a corporate. I knew a few others who’d done the same and assumed the grass was greener, but the pace of learning and the comp ceiling have been more of a shock than I expected.

My original plan when joining DCM was to lateral internally to a coverage or M&A team, but I never made the move - and I really regret it now, as it feels like that would have opened a lot more doors.

What options do I have at this point? I could potentially go back to my old firm, but it seems like a tough sell to jump straight into an industry group. MBA? Feels like a possible route, but also a frustrating one - I’d be spending a lot of time and money to fix something I might have been able to solve by just moving internally when I had the chance.

19 Comments
 

I definitely enjoyed many aspects of IB. The type of work was often fun, a lot of it felt meaningful, and the sense of camaraderie.

The main drawbacks were the hours, lack of predictability, and some of the work that felt like a waste of time (redoing a deck just for the sake of it, irrelevant comments late at night, etc.). That said, I suspect a lot of these things improve as you become more senior.

Why are you thinking of going back if you don't see yourself doing it long term?

 

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