Where to now?

Haven't been on here in a while, but I keep up with the forum every now and then and have a lot of respect for the guidance you guys provide on a daily basis.

I have had a very non traditional career path to say the least. I graduated from a pretty decent school (think T5 public) with a not so decent degree (corporate communications). I was too lazy to stick out my degree in finance and switched to corporate communications because for whatever reason they allowed those in that major to take courses that weren't available to others without being the in BBA program (some econ, finance classes).

After I graduated I worked for a year at a third party research firm as a research analyst. I worked in the hedge fund vertical, my clients were mostly L/S funds. The majority of my clients were Tiger Cubs. My primary task there was to generate revenue for the company by sourcing SME's for my clients. I also analyzed 10-K, 8-K, etc. I became pretty familiar with Bloomberg and FactSet as well.

I left that role to start a business with one of my friends who is now my partner - this is what I am currently doing. The business is going pretty well, we are in the process of selling it for a valuation that we are both happy with. When all is said and done that should leave me with ~2 years of my current income, so I like to think that I have time to 'figure things out.'

As excited as I am about what is going on, it does feel that I am staring off into the abyss. Beyond my friend circle I haven't really networked as well as I could have. I do still have some connections that I am going to catch up with when things slow down a bit. A few months ago I also started working for a tech start-up (think payment processing, POS systems) part time through one of my customers. He is actually very successful and sold his last company for >$1bn. As I'm sure is the case at many start-ups, it's hard to define my role. I am helping with the go to market strategy, but I also sit in on the meetings w the M&A advisors so I'm gaining experience with pro-forma models which is good.

If you are still reading: after the business sells and things are sorted I'd like to get back into finance. I have no illusions of grandeur, I know I am not making VP at GS this year. When I was working in that research role I began networking with equity salespeople and was interested in that, but was always concerned with where the field will be in 5-10. I also liked AM, I'm just not sure in what capacity I would work in that field given my lack of credentials. I enjoy working in client facing roles and that is where I see myself in my next role. I want to begin narrowing down my prospects and being realistic so I can make a game plan.

What are the job prospects for someone like me in S&T (emphasis on S) or AM? I would be happy to send my resume to anyone who is interested, it's still a work in progress right now given my company is in the process of being sold so I don't have a line that reads "sold XYZ for 3x entry multiple." My resume is a little shaky right now to say the least.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. This site has helped me in a lot of ways, even now that I just skimming through it from time to time.

 

To ask a more coherent question:

How is an entrepreneural venture viewed in the finance world with regards to employement? My assumption is not great since I left the field in which so many are dedicated.

On the other hand, the glass half full approach: I was able to start a profitable business and sell it, I have a staff of >20, I have to pay close attention to cash flow, servicing debt, etc.

What is your take on this?

 

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