Buy-side (~15 yrs) trying to pivot into investor relations — how would you play it?

I've spent ~15 years on the buy-side, most recently as a co-PM on a couple of global equity funds. I love the analytical craft — turning a complex business into a credible, numbers-backed story — but I want to do that inside one company or firm, as part of a team, rather than solo against a quarterly number. Investor relations keeps coming up as the natural landing spot, both corporate IR and the capital-formation / LP side at PE and alternatives shops.

I'm trying to figure out how to actually run this pivot and would value input from anyone who's done it or hires for it:

• For a buy-side background with no IR title yet, where do you realistically enter, and what makes the jump credible to a hiring manager?
• What are the fastest gaps to close before interviews — Reg FD / disclosure, the earnings or DDQ cycle, IR tooling?
• Corporate IR vs. PE / alternatives IR — which tends to value a buy-side background more, and how different is the day-to-day?
• Is IR hiring mostly network-driven, or are there recruiters / search firms worth knowing?

If anyone in IR — or who's made this exact move — would be up for a few lines here or a quick DM, I'd really appreciate it. Happy to give back: I can share what PMs actually listen for on calls and in meetings, how the buy-side reads a story, or compare notes on AI research tooling (I've built a fair bit). Thanks in advance.