This is something I’ve been wrestling with and I’m curious how others navigate it. You build relationships with people in banking over years—your team, mentors, senior bankers you’ve worked with. But what happens when your goals start shifting?
Like, say you’re thinking about exiting to tech or lateraling to a different group or moving to a better-paying role somewhere else. How much do you actually tell your current network about that? And does it matter if these people could theoretically be your reference or help you down the line?
I’m worried about a few things:
- Will signaling an exit hurt my chances of being promoted in the short term?
- Do people actually respect honesty about wanting something different, or do they just see you as checked out?
- Is there a way to explore other options without basically burning bridges with the people you actually value?
- How much can you even control the narrative once people sense you’re not all-in anymore?
It feels like everyone says “be authentic” but the financial services reality is that being too honest about your real goals might actually work against you. What’s your real experience here?
ur right to be paranoid tbh. senior people absolutely notice when ur disengaged and it tanks ur stock immediately. don’t tell ur md ur looking to exit—they will squeeze u and then spit u out. tell ur peer group sure. tell mentors maybe. ur boss? absolutely not. most people figure it out anyway thru the grapevine but dont be the dumbass who tells them.
so basically play it cool until ur actually ready to make a move? thats kinda depressing lol but makes sense given how cutthroat it all is
Strategic discretion matters significantly in banking culture. I’d distinguish between different relationship levels: intimate mentors can typically handle nuanced discussions about your evolving goals; peers provide safer sounding boards; direct supervisors require careful framing focused on your current role excellence. The most sustainable approach involves maintaining full commitment to your present responsibilities while selectively building external relationships. When the time comes to transition, people respect decisive moves far more than long telegraphing. I’ve found successful exits come from people who stayed professionally excellent while quietly building external networks—then moved purposefully when ready.
Your mentors who truly care about you will respect your honesty! Build those real relationships and be open with the people who matter. You’ve got this!
I made a lateral move two years into my analyst stint and I was pretty open about exploring different groups. My MD was actually cool with it because I positioned it as growth, not escape. The people who weren’t cool with it were my peers who got weird about it. Looking back, I probably could’ve been more strategic about who I told early versus who I told right before I moved.
Career transition research indicates timing of disclosure significantly impacts outcomes. Professionals who signal intent to exit more than 12 months before departure experience 30-40% lower promotion likelihood. Those who maintain full engagement and signal within 3-6 months of transition experience minimal impact on references and relationships. Network diversity—cultivating connections outside immediate reporting lines—effectively mitigates transition risks. Selective disclosure to established mentors shows positive outcomes; disclosure to direct supervisors shows negative outcomes in approximately 75% of cases within financial services.