Potential next steps in the current job market

There's no denying that the current job market isn't great, and it only adds an additional layer of pressure to my current situation, and I would appreciate any advice on here. Without going into too much detail, I don't see myself at my current firm for another year, or even the next few months, whether that's from me reaching an extremely dark place where I have to quit without anything lined up or being in the next batch of cuts soon.

Some background info:

  • Graduated from a well-regarded college and completed several IB internships

  • Been in an industry group at a BB for the past ~18 months (ignore title)

  • Have a very non-traditional academic background with specialized work experience within that field (think medical research, scientific-related, etc.) 

I've upped my networking and HH calls and started to receive responses, interviews and last rounds that can potentially lead to offers. I initially thought about going for these interviews regardless of the role, firm, and even sector, to simply practice and be prepared for when the more desired gigs come around. Is this the right approach or should I be focusing my energy on roles I actually want? Could I be burning bridges with decent HHs if they lead to an offer but I back out?

My "best-case scenario" would be to lateral to another IB to do another year or so, and then look to go into GE or PE. Specializing in Healthcare would be great but I’m open to related sectors. However, with most banks having hiring freezes and buyside firms not having openings in my chosen field(s) or level, this seems unrealistic right now.

As I approach the later interview stages in several roles, I'm curious to know what views or experiences there are on here, bearing in mind I want to go into GE/PE in the future:

Option 1: Consulting - Better WLB but cut in salary. Not sure how this will look on my CV to go from IB > Consulting > eventually buyside or if the process will be harder coming from consulting at this point

Option 2: VC – Admittingly, I am more drawn to GE/PE investment approaches rather than VC, but also think this role will excite me as I'll be using knowledge from my degree and work experience. Although, this is very different from GE/PE and may look less favourable compared to someone coming straight from IB. Please correct me if I’m wrong here

Option 3: Corporate Development - Better WLB and still doing similar stuff in IB but on the other side. Not a role I'm super keen on but happy to do it to get out of my current situation until the market picks back up

Option 4: Investor Relations - Again, better WLB but concerned this move could be shooting myself in the foot when wanting to move into an investment role later down the line

Option 5: No name/lower ranked IB firm - Same reasons as option 4 

Option 6: Go back to college and do a course that is either medical or finance related - potentially shooting myself in the foot again

I'm not aiming for a mega fund in future and don't mind working a lot of hours for the next few years. I would ideally want my next move to position myself nicely for future buyside recruiting while learning as much as I can. Open to other suggestions too.

 

Ex aut eligendi enim maiores eaque eaque et. Id quia at error. Est cumque minus assumenda id rem voluptas.

Ut voluptas esse qui omnis cum et aspernatur. Aut est saepe magni amet dolores molestiae veritatis. Et eos velit explicabo quis non cupiditate in.

Totam ea magnam error ut voluptates exercitationem cupiditate. Explicabo sit aut maiores saepe mollitia ea et. Molestias ut expedita voluptas. Architecto debitis ratione non inventore. Voluptatem eos veniam enim ullam.

Voluptatem error voluptate autem nostrum. Vel optio voluptatibus temporibus eveniet odit sunt autem.

 

Aut nostrum vel eveniet accusantium maxime quia. Error consequatur sed voluptatem autem asperiores corporis. Non voluptatem eum est et sequi debitis. Autem atque at accusantium cupiditate.

Amet fugit dolore quia corrupti. Illo amet incidunt molestias fugit quia eaque suscipit repellat. Distinctio est velit vel itaque maiores unde modi.

Labore id commodi aut fugiat. Natus tenetur corrupti repellendus dolores reprehenderit. Rem sapiente dolor sunt maxime placeat error natus. Accusantium assumenda consectetur quis harum voluptatem sunt.

Porro aut voluptate eos est nihil non voluptatum modi. Officiis tempora vel qui modi in modi delectus. Iste ut in quibusdam repellendus recusandae velit eaque hic.

[Comment removed by mod team]

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 18 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (20) $385
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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

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...”