Got fired after 1.5 years as an Analyst, want to stay in Banking but I am confused

So I got fired in December right before bonuses and got a new gig in February doing remote FP&A for a media company. I want to go back into banking but I am not sure what level i should be recruiting for.

I am not blaming the company at all I was just on a bad team that didn't get any work regardless, I grinded it out and was let go, full disclosure, they said it was for performance because i think they did not want to not give a reason, the team is really tight knit and i was the new guy who didn't go to the same school or had other personal connections from the other analyst all the way to the fucking MD, I was their attempt at getting a new guy in.

The problem is i am not sure whether to apply for analyst roles or associate roles. I feel like I did my time working 100 hour weeks and it wouldn't make sense to start all over again as i am an older analyst (27yo, i came from big 4 audit)

Some of my other piers are now associates at my old bank and i had what it took but got dinged before the promotions. But i am still scared to apply for Associate roles since my analyst applications have gone nowhere.

What do you guys think? a lot of analyst roles want recent grads which i am not but do you think i am over thinking and should throw my hat in for associate roles? 

My final question is lets say i stay in fp&a for a year will that count for when recruiters are looking at my resume for associate roles?

Should i start again from the bottom of the analyst or is my experience good enough for associate

Have to start again
26% (39 votes)
You have a reasonable shot at getting Associate
30% (44 votes)
See results
44% (66 votes)
Total votes: 149
10 Comments
 

Depends on experience and where, and how many deals closed. Likely you're not getting looks for Associate. Best off trying for a Experienced Analyst role.

 
Most Helpful

In a very similar situation myself. Never got along with the team and it’s overall a bad fit. They still gave me a non insulting bonus but put me on a PIP in the first quarter of my second year so idk if they’ll fire me before the summer or let me ride out the second year. 

I’ve gotten interviews for a lateral associate downstream since I have more experience other than banking but it’s tough. Might have to do one more analyst year somewhere else if nothing is available. 
 

 

This was the exact scheme they did with me, its very evil simply because they used my PIP as an excuse to not give me a severance and this was at a large firm, if they just fired me for fit, i wouldn't have felt so insulted

 

Voluptatibus perspiciatis voluptatibus ut quisquam quisquam aliquam. Veritatis consequatur excepturi quibusdam necessitatibus omnis saepe provident. Molestiae sapiente dolorum perferendis fuga aut possimus minima. Aut autem ut nam et ut minima earum.

Iusto qui fugit rerum culpa eveniet. Voluptatem sunt officiis nemo sunt vero dolore sed. Voluptas voluptatem cupiditate et nihil.

Enim est accusamus expedita et laborum vel nobis. Itaque atque dolores nam.

Fugit ut sit repellendus fugiat. Suscipit dolores commodi enim sit veniam fugit. Rem assumenda illum inventore qui voluptates. Dolores quas debitis nihil veniam quae neque ea facilis. Minima reiciendis animi exercitationem eius harum. Odit commodi aut enim omnis fuga ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”