Move from IB M&A to S&T?

MBA IB Associate about to complete 2 years in an M&A group at a BB.

Like a lot of parts about my job, but I am not about the 4am pitchbook/cim building lifestyle much longer. Wondering what S&T type roles/desks are a good fit for someone with M&A experience. I have heard credit desks like the background?

Do you see people move from M&A to S&T? Should I just try and move to ECM/DCM or something instead?

Is this stupid to even consider? I know S&T isn't perfect, but the hours and lifestyle seem much better and the comp is still high. Plus they are killing it this year too.

Don't care too much about exit opps since as an MBA associate since I'm not exactly getting swooped up by PE firms (plus I am not sure I even want to do PE).

Thanks for any thoughts/feedback.

8 Comments
 

Huge caveat here that I am still in college but I spent this summer rotating on a distressed desk. I agree that a desk analyst position on a distressed or even HY desk would be a good fit. Distressed has a lot more desk analysts than HY, and many of them are former bankers with that skillset. The team at my BB was also really tight and a lot of fun to be around.

 
Most Helpful

Moved “unofficially” to a S&T desk from the IB side. Long story short: very doable - just takes some “networking” and a few dominoes to fall your way. Someone junior left for an MBA, a few chairs shuffled around, and I got an “offer.”

I had expressed some interest to the right people (in the right setting/tactfully) and worked on a few projects close enough, which gave them enough of a view to reach out. Jumped all over the opportunity.

As another poster said and similar to where you are at mentally: Dig some of the competitive FO finance stuff (vs. other “finance” gigs), culture on the trading floors is a better fit for my personality, and wasn’t in love with the degree of client pandering BS in banking. It wasn’t some huge disdain/sad-song, just edging closer to the markets side with a new flavor of material that grabbed my interest the last few years.

 

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