Best path forward
I was a little late in deciding that I wanted to pursue a career in RE so I had limited internship experience coming out of undergrad, but was able to get a job in valuations. While it wasn’t my dream job, I viewed it as a way to break into the industry, but after about 6 months I’ve found that the projects I’m working on aren’t all that exciting and am already looking to move on.
My long term goal is to be in a value-add acquisitions role, but I’m not sure of the best path forward. Is a jump from valuations to acquisitions reasonably possible? Im considering using REIB as a step up, but feel like given that REIB focuses so heavily on the entity level, that the property level work I’m doing now would be far more useful in acquisitions.
So, sure.... people jump from valuations to buyside roles all the time (people also jump to brokerage/sell-side roles as well).
I am assuming you are early 20s based on the post, so my advice is not to "rush" out of valuations. Takes a few years to really get up to speed and be useful in that field. So, if you target a move at the 3-5 year zone, you will probably at much more valuable. If you want to aim for top tier institutional jobs, then plan on a grad degree (MBA or MSRE/D). Really grad school may need to part of your long-term plan regardless, but I wouldn't worry about that now.
You can apply for jobs today, and you might get one. But you would really be just getting another entry level job, nothing wrong with this per se, just have to evaluate that role/firm on it face. TBH, you might be better to stay where you are vs. taking some small-scale/unknown buyside role (i.e. your current trajectory could lead you to a medium to high tier role, unknown if you jump).
You could go sellside as well. Would also be a "reset to entry level" but not crazy. IS/DE brokerage, REIB, and even leasing brokerage are options; again, until you have offer in hand, can't really judge if good or not. But same issue applies, you are then shifting your career track and it may or may not be the better long term.
TL:DR - You can make moves, but unless a really good one, staying put may be the optimal strategy
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