Don’t fk up your resume by lateraling too many times - a cautionary tale
As someone who’s been around for a while (ignore title, I’m much more senior), I’ve jumped ship and have now worked at several different banks. While making a move can definitely make sense in certain situations (better culture, comp, or deal flow), switching banks too many times can absolutely harm your career in the long run.
1. Red Flag for Employers - Banks value stability. If you’re switching every year or two, future employers might question your loyalty, patience, or ability to work through tough situations. They don’t want to invest in someone who might bolt the moment another recruiter calls.
2. Reputation Risk - Finance is a small world. People talk, and if you’re known as someone who jumps from one place to another, you might get labeled as a “mercenary”. This can hurt your credibility long term.
3. Stunted Growth - Switching too often prevents you from building real expertise if you change industry groups and/or products. Every time you start fresh, you’re learning new systems, processes, and teams. This can stunt your development and delay progression.
4. Burning Bridges - Leaving multiple places after a short stint can sour relationships with former colleagues. You might be leaving for “better opportunities,” but those you leave behind might see you as unreliable and won’t be a positive reference.
5. Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain - Sure, you might guarantee a payday or a new title, but constant lateral switches won’t build a strong narrative for your career. It’s much more impressive to show sustained success and progression at one or two firms than a laundry list of short stints.
6. Recruiters Take You Less Seriously - If you develop a reputation for jumping, even recruiters will stop reaching out.
TL;DR
Switching banks isn’t a bad thing. But be very strategic about your moves and thoroughly DD the opportunity and team through channel checks and network references. If you don’t have a direct contact with an ex or current employee you may not have enough information to make a good decision.
Haha written by the same HR which is pushing out male A&A to enforce gender targets. F off!
Agreed. This retarded rhetoric from HR is ridiculous. Always talk about employee retention yet pushing out all non-nepo competent male A&As to guarantee promos for women
Eh this might be how it used to be but in todays landscape, you have to move around sometimes not by choice
I agreed with ^. Sometimes people move not by choice.
Also is it a red flag if an MD has moved around too many times, and each time downstream? I'm thinking this is because the MD can't generate revenue so he/she keeps having to move downstream every 2-3 years. Can anyone confirm?
Nobody will ding you going upmarket. If you left a MM for Qatalyst, your phone would ring off the fucking hook.
BofA HR already getting in front of bad bonuses this year I see.
You guys are still pushing that corporate loyalty bullshit?
Did ChatGPT write this utter pile of garbage?
I get the people shitting on this as HR bs, but it’s 100% true if you are looking to have a long term career in banking. Moving multiple times every 1-2 years is a bad look.
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