Those who left IB as a VP - was it worth it in the long run?
Understood there are a lot of factors at play, but interested to hear from former IB folks who left as VPs whether it was worth it in the long run.
Information is out there about the short term implications of making a move to something like business dev, etc, but I’m interested to hear the long term effects of people who took that path. My mentality has always been to stay in IB as long as I can stomach it (for the short term pay), and figure out the optimal jumping off point as I go. I’m stuck in the mindset that leaving for corporate is analogous to “giving up” on my career… did others who took the jump feel that way? Did IB set you up for long term success?
Bump
Currently a VP2 but my goal is to trade down bank tier every 2-3 years if I don't get D. Hoping I can go from BB VP -> MM SVP -> LMM MD and by that point I would have collected enough checks to leave the industry and do a cushy 9-5 towards the end of my career
Quick question - how long did it take you to get to VP1? just curious as i have a similar thought pattern of "trekking it out" at the "higher ranked" banks until late VP/early director and trading down for D/MD.
3 years as an analyst and 3 years as an associate. started in ib pre-covid
Does moving down the ladder necessarily mean better hours? I've seen plenty of middle market senior bankers with horrible work life balance. They scrap for every dollar of business at firms that lack resources or name recognition
bump
Bump
Following
How difficult was it to find a buyside role as a vp? I would love to transition from lev fin to private credit at a similar stage in my career (I'll be promoted to director in February), but I only know very few people that have made this leap
can you explain your mindset and the pros/cons you listed between buyside (fam office) and IB and what criteria you listed that shifted your favor and decision to leave IB? im thinking IB is more client services/salesy and slightly easier promotions since theres always a need for bankers but buyside promotions and moving firm to firm is harder. just curious how you went about the decision.
Just curious, is that your real name? Or is a reference flying over my head
10+ years post MBA. Have seen only one situation where the guy cleaned up. Became CFO then CEO of a forgotten / stuck business (not PE owned) that sold to a strategic for $2bn+. Making million a year is nice. Making $50-100mm at once is nicer. Have seen some situation where people moved on to Corp Dev role but kind of stalled out especially if company sucked. One took a CFO job at growth company in 2021 thinking some IPO riches that never materialized. Guess we still got 20+ years of work life left so lot can still happen.
how was your journey? are you still in IB? curious what/why of the career you're at now. trying to figure my life out as well
As someone who routinely contemplated/have friends who have contemplated similar options and still continue to, here are some thoughts. The reality is: there is no "optimal" jumping time/path. All depends on what you eventually want to do. It always helps to have an exit plan in place from banking, given how volatile things can be across the years + personal situation.
1. If you are aiming to exit to a PE, you are significantly worse off as a VP in banking compared to an Assoc: very little need for banking VPs being hired for VP role at PE. Unlikely to happen (but maybe it does on a very limited scale)
2. If you are aiming to exit to a MM / LMM PE - possible, but really the question for them will be: what value add can you bring as a VP? You clearly understand execution, but the real value add for them to bring people on is in origination i.e. can you originate deals with a local HVAC company or a regional fabrication manufacturer? My contacts at my BB/EB are with large corporates/PE firms. If i were to think about transitioning to a MM PE, i would imagine I'd have to show them my ability to ring in connections within the local/regional economy. A LMM PE does not care about my ability to call up the CFO of Google.
3. If you are looking for a Corp Dev/Corp Finance role in a company - assuming it’s a large company, the consensus is that leaving as a VP is marginally worse than leaving as an Associate. Take tech for example. Most people will end up going to a Manager/Senior Manager title (unlikely Director) if you exit as an associate with some years of experience. Director titles within these companies are from promotes- most likely they will bring someone in as a SM before promoting them. I've seen at least couple of people exit at VPs to SM roles which they could have probably gotten 1-2 years ago. The path in a smaller company might be less defined, but arguably more flexible, and potentially faster- but all this depends on the industry/company/role.
4. If you are looking for a more sales/originator role within the broader finance universe or peripheral industries, then VP title helps in so far as you have connections within a client base/bank. If you are a top tier BB, you probably have a much large contact base. Exits to Capital Markets group at a PE, Investor Relations, Origination at a fund (PE or PC)- these are all roles where you get paid to basically "milk" your connections you built in within the wider banking universe. I've seen a number of people from Top Tier BB (LevFin/IB/GCM/etc) leave for roles in Private Credit, Origination at PE, Capital Markets at PE, BD at PE, BD with FinTech/Crypto, Startups. There is no end to this, and many of them are done fairly well having left at VP/D/ED/MD level. If this is the plan, I'd even argue staying on till D from VP is more beneficial.
I think the worst thing anyone can do as a VP/D is be caught in this illusion of "coasting" because everything seems better compared to analyst/associate years. The reality is- if you are not constantly networking, or seeking ideas around your own path within your firm or outside- you are truly riding your luck because at worse, you are a very expensive associate to a firm. The best VPs are those that can seamlessly make the lives of their MDs easier (so valuable to their firm), and are generally well regarded/liked to build a network of contacts within the firm/clients that people will vouch for (valuable to themselves) and are likely to become originators of business outside of IB.
Coming from PE, I’d add to your points 1&2 that you actually dont really know execution. You either have coverage skills or you have M&A PROCESS skills. You don’t have actual due diligence / docs / IC skills. Coming in at the VP level would be equivalent to a MBA Associate in banking you all complain about so much. Yes you may be smart and learn, but you don’t know how to do the job at all. That’s kind of fine at a bank because there are so many bodies and slots and it’s a well known thing that you need a ramp up period, but if you’ve just layered a second year associate you can be sure as shit that they’re going to let you stumble and fall every single opportunity they get, and these teams being small and pretty unforgiving it’s very easy to go into a death spiral within your first six months without you even realising, only to be worked to the bone and spat back out before you can vest any meaningful carry.
Et sapiente ut quis cum commodi quaerat qui. Ut est optio sed quos. Voluptas vel aut molestiae libero distinctio. Ea incidunt iste non.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Iure sunt aliquid tenetur nam sit. Hic et eius hic. Velit a et doloremque necessitatibus ut quae illo. Quos non sint aliquam amet dicta sapiente illo porro.
Tempore consequatur sit sit repellendus dolore. Doloribus ut ea neque. Non nihil et aperiam esse voluptate natus dolores.
Sint enim mollitia cum non nihil placeat architecto. Placeat ipsa hic quia cum qui quo. Eum accusantium eum saepe veritatis. Quis corporis iste corrupti ut.