3rd Year M&A Analyst Heading for the Exit: Help on Next Steps...

TLDR: What actionable steps should a 3rd year IB analyst take to quickly begin seeking other opportunities?

Long Version: I'm a 3rd year analyst in U.S. BB M&A who lateraled from another group. I've been in a top or near top bucket for the last two years and have a few people at the firm who hold me in high regard. My undergrad credentials are solid enough but not platinum status (e.g., not like a 3.9 at HYP). I've begun to take on some associate responsibilities, but I may not get promoted and don't really want to. I'm starting to feel pretty burnt out, but the problem is I have no idea of what I want to do next. I enjoy working in the financial industry, particularly on complex situations, and I enjoy being paid well. I'm willing to sacrifice some of that, however, to have a bit more of a life in my next role.

I have never gone through recruiting because in my prior group people generally stayed on for the long haul. I'd be interested in investing, corporate finance or other roles. I'm particularly interested in the specialty finance / FinTech space and financial industry more generally but open minded in terms of industry.

I don't have a ton of closed deals I can point to, but I have worked on a few interesting situations (mostly M&A related) where I did some real work but which died on the vine.

I'm wondering now what I should be doing to kickstart my job search and go from a standing start to building a real career. I fear that I've procrastinated this and focused too much on my current role despite its lack of appeal to me. Obviously I have some sense of what this entails, yet I don't feel like the typical PE track necessarily fits my goals or experience.

Also feel free to PM me with any insights. It would be much appreciated.

 

If you're feeling a little burnt out, maybe a top MBA would be the next logical choice. It will slow things down a bit and help with the transition.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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