Path Back to IB from Strategic Finance?
Looking for some advice from people who've been in a similar situation or have seen others make this transition.
I spent about a year as an analyst at a top MM bank before being laid off a few months ago as part of a broader headcount reduction / restructuring. Since then, I've been actively recruiting for lateral IB and buy-side opportunities. I've made it to several late-stage and final-round interviews, but unfortunately haven't been able to land an offer.
I recently received a strategic finance role at a tech startup. While I'm grateful to have landed something, my long-term goal is still to get back into investment banking.
A few questions / thoughts:
- Has anyone successfully moved from Strategic Finance at a startup back into IB with prior IB experience?
- Does taking this role make it harder to lateral back into IB over time? Would it be better to keep recruiting immediately while my IB experience is still relatively recent?
- How would you position this experience to recruiters? Would working in Strategic Finance help my candidacy, or would I eventually be viewed more as a corporate finance candidate?
- Any advice on the best path forward? Should I focus primarily on experienced analyst lateral opportunities, or would it make sense to explore other routes back into high finance?
Would really appreciate any thoughts, advice, or examples from people who've navigated something similar!
