I’m a 2nd-year IB analyst (coverage, decent deal reps, heavy modeling on two sell-sides). I’ve sketched a decision tree for exits and a 90‑day test plan, but I’d love a sanity check from folks who’ve actually done it.
Quick read on fit: PE appeals if I want reps on ownership-thinking and structured diligence; VC is interesting for market mapping and founder-facing work, but I know sourcing is the bulk early; Product seems like the right long-run slope if I enjoy cross‑functional problem‑solving and shipping.
My draft 90‑day plan: for PE, 2 technical reps/week and one full case with a friend; for VC, 10 targeted conversations and a small thesis write‑up; for PM, ship a lightweight project (user interviews + spec + mock) and practice product sense weekly. I’ll keep my banking deliverables tight and do this during predictable windows.
If you’ve walked any of these paths, what would you add, cut, or reorder? Any red flags in how I’m testing fit or things I’ll only learn the hard way? What would your next 90 days look like in my shoes?
you don’t need a decision tree, you need a mirror. if you like models and control, go pe. if you crave meetings and vibes, go vc. if you want to build but haven’t shipped anything, pm will eat you. your 90-day plan is fine but soft: commit to deadlines, get someone to grade you, and cut the coffee chats that don’t convert. also, stop announcing plans at work; headhunters smell indecision. pick a lane for 6 weeks and go.
vc as a first jump is mostly dialing, crm updates, and hearing “circle back” 50 times. not glamorous. pe recruiting is a treadmill; if you’re not hitting timed cases and lbo drills now, you’re behind, sorry. pm? hire yourself by shipping a micro-tool that saves your team time. screenshots beat resumes. your “one case a week” is too light; do two under pressure. and for the love of god, don’t blow up your staffings chasing coffees during live deals.
i’m a 1st year. mini hack that helped: did a quick PM spec for an internal pain point (excel template + loom). it got shared, easy talking point. not fancy but worked.
for pe prep, i blocked 45 mins after dinner for timed lbo drills. tiny reps add up. used free prompts from friends. kept it quiet at work.
Your structure is sound; tighten the experiments and attach outcomes. For PE, define a weekly target (two paper LBOs under 20 minutes, one full case with a rubric, one deal write-up). For VC, anchor on a clear thesis area and produce a short pipeline with three “why now” angles; conversations should be with partners or principals who actually staff interns/associates. For Product, scope one end‑to‑end artifact: problem statement, five user interviews, a spec, and a simple mock; ask a PM to critique it. Guardrails: do not let preparation leak into live deals; quality at work is your reference. Decision rule: by day 60, commit to one track for the final 30 days.
Consider risk management. PE timing is unforgiving; missing on-cycle windows can push you off for a year. If you have solid deal reps now, prioritize PE first while maintaining a light PM project to keep optionality. If PM emerges as the better long-term path, you can scale that in months 4–6. VC is the lowest-probability entry from banking unless you bring a network or a genuine edge in a focused sector. Whatever you choose, document outputs weekly and solicit external feedback.
Love the clarity here! Your plan is solid. Ship one small product, lock two timed LBOs weekly, and keep conversations targeted. You’ve got this—momentum beats perfection. Keep us posted!
I jumped from IB to PM last year. Thought the “soft skills” would be the blocker, but honestly it was proof of execution. What moved the needle: I built a scrappy internal dashboard for our deal team using Google Apps Script, wrote a one‑pager, and shared it. A senior PM tore it apart, then referred me anyway because I iterated fast. Interviews leaned hard on product sense and stakeholder wrangling stories. If PM is on your radar, ship something real and get it critiqued early.
Frame this with decision criteria and measurable outputs. Common PE assessments: timed paper LBOs (15–30 minutes), case walkthroughs on a live or mock CIM, and deal discussions; candidates with 10–20 quality reps typically stabilize performance. VC screenings often emphasize sourcing rationale and market theses; conversion rates from cold outreach are low, so track response and follow-up yields. PM interviews commonly include product sense, execution tradeoffs, and lightweight analytics; producing a spec and a prototype gives tangible evidence. Set weekly metrics, review variance, and commit by week eight.