Failing upwards (getting fired and moving to better jobs)

I worked in consulting for 3 years before moving over to a UMM PE fund last summer. They didn't know this but I actually got [insert respective MBB term for fired] after failing to get through my spring performance review 2.5 years into the job (and overall did not perform amazingly)

Things are going okay for now but I feel like if/when it starts to go downhill again, I have good experience and am good at interviewing so believe I will be well positioned to just lateral to a Senior Associate/VP role at another firm 

My hypothesis is that there are many other people in my position - does anyone have any success stories to share? 

My fear is that you only get benefit of the doubt for ~1 year before things go downhill so am not sure how to think about my long-term future but for now the deal team gig is paying the bills 

Could you have stayed at your IB/consulting firm if you hadn't left for PE

Yes - IB
29% (10 votes)
No - IB
14% (5 votes)
Yes - consulting
20% (7 votes)
No - consulting
3% (1 vote)
N/A - see results
34% (12 votes)
Total votes: 35
6 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I think you're under-estimating the narrowing of the pyramid at SA/VP and competitiveness of the lateral market.

If you check other threads, there are tons of talented current/former associates (and MBAs) vying for these jobs (with good references), so I wouldn't assume that failing up is remotely easy. MBB >> PE is a very different dynamic and market (given the premature recruiting) than lateral PE.

 

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