Transition from project finance to m&a / ecm

I just completed my masters from a semi-target and started working in a BB in project finance. 2 months in the role as Analyst 1 and I now realise that i dont belong here and would like to transition into M&A/ECM. There is no scope for internal transfer to ECM. Took me 6 months of consistent applications to land this role. If i dont mention this experience, there will be atleats 8 month gap on my CV, but my current experience is just a couple months. How do i proceed with the transition?

5 Comments
 

Definitely doable. I used to work for PF in a French CIB within renewable energy. We actually always pitched together with M&A team and it makes sense -banks pitch buy-side advisory and financial advisory at the same time.
A lot of skills are transferable, such as your PF non recourse financing capabilities could be used in M&A modeling. I personally even find M&A modeling much easier than PF modeling.
Having said that, definitely need to do a lot of networking, need to follow m&a news and prepare as much as you can for m&a-related interview questions.

 

Doloribus animi id est aliquam repellendus perferendis ex. Fugit et quisquam facilis aut. Repellat optio maiores magni qui. Vero culpa voluptatem ea veniam blanditiis quod. Consequatur et quaerat nihil minus. Perspiciatis earum modi ut ullam hic quia. Voluptates quia quos iste aperiam.

Et ut possimus voluptatem fugit magni. Ea in repudiandae consequatur aut praesentium vel.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”