An Intro and Looking for Some Perspective

Hey everyone,

I’ve been browsing around the site and reading the forums for a few weeks now and this seems like a fantastic community. I really wish I had taken the time to make an account and explore it while I was still in college. Who knows how my career could have started differently. But alas, hindsight is 20/20.

A little background.. I graduated from a large state school (Top 25 Business School) with a B.S. in Finance. I really had no idea what I wanted to do at the ripe age of 22 (kudos to those who do) so I just sent my resume out through the career services platform to see what companies would give me an interview. I ended up getting hired into an FLDP with a F500 company and started about a month after I graduated. After two years in the program I finished at the top of my class and interviewed for an analyst position in the Corporate Development group. I was hired full-time and have now been working in Corp Dev for about a year.

I have no idea (other than what I’ve read on this site) what the makeup of Corp Dev groups at other F500 companies is, so I’m not sure if my situation is unique or not. I am the only analyst in the group and with that comes an incredible amount of exposure to the deals we’ve done as well as to senior management. I’ve seen several deals all the way through since I started and there are a few others in process. Our group is primarily focused on M&A. We own and manage the model as well as the process from CA/CIM to close/integration. DD is delegated to the different functions of the company (Controller’s, Legal, HR, etc.) however it is our responsibility to manage and coordinate the DD efforts. Navigating the politics of Corporate America has been fun…

And now for the perspective that I’m looking for. Quite honestly, I love my current job and I plan to stay here for at least another year and a half (unless of course the right opportunity presents itself). The experience is better than anything I could have asked for. However, I’m not thrilled with the geographic location for the long run and I don’t see a clear cut career path here. I am thoroughly enjoying the world of M&A and do not want to move to a back office type corporate finance role just to move up in the company. So what are my options? There is a lot of great advice on Corp Dev in the forums but most of it is getting into it, not your exit options at a young age. I am thinking that I would like to make the move to IB then PE, or directly to PE if possible. Do I need to go to B-School to do this? I am currently studying for the GMAT and will be surprised if I don’t fall into the 720-750 range. Should I be thinking about getting any certifications?

Sorry for the long-winded first post. Any advice is much appreciated!