First year analyst with no buyside gig lined up…have I failed?

Ignore title, but first year at a top tech BB in NY targeting west coast tech oportunies in growth and vc. Started lots of processes but many just fell off and went ghost after some time - is this indicative of the market or am I just bombing everything? No HH has told me directly yet that a firm has passed because of my performance, and I’ve only had one technical assessment.

For growth and VC, is it dead? Should I be networking directly with VC funds? Feeling pretty dejected.

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

If you’re just a first year you still have another 12-24 months before you leave banking. That’s plenty of time to win an offer and I wouldn’t stress whether or not you’ve “failed”. Time is going to pass regardless so I wouldn’t spend it stressing as that won’t necessarily help you. Keep recruiting and you’ll likely find something in the time you have left as an analyst. Worst case you go A2A and still make $$$ while getting good career experience. I’ve seen amazing exits from A2A IB associates to MFs and HFs, although admittedly much rarer to see.

TLDR: you’ll be fine. Keep hustling and enjoy the process

 

Similar situation FWIW I know two top GE funds that have cut/told current associates to find a new gig when historically they have had good promos, sign of the times

 

It's kind of amusing in a dumb way.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

Quia vel sapiente quia porro. Perferendis facere dolorem blanditiis. Explicabo aut dicta quidem. Neque earum asperiores dolorem repudiandae quidem. Dolorem est adipisci quas omnis nesciunt a doloremque.

Vel voluptatibus cumque ut aspernatur. Soluta qui natus vero consectetur est quia. Ut ex dolorem quia ipsum explicabo debitis. Alias aut et voluptates iste temporibus. Blanditiis maxime quam placeat voluptas. Blanditiis ipsa consequatur est totam.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $61
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”