i keep seeing people mention corporate development and vc as “less common” exits from ib, but the advice is all over the place. from veteran threads here, realistic routes seem to be: build internal relationships with corporate dev teams, highlight strategic M&A exposure, or get operational/strategy experience before vc. i want a concrete starting plan that doesn’t rely on luck. i’m considering asking my bank for secondments, taking a rotational role at a portfolio company, or targeting growth-stage vc that values transaction experience. for people who made these moves: which of those steps actually opened doors, and which were time sinks?
vc and corporate dev are sold as cushy alternatives but both have gatekeepers. corp dev hires those who already know the biz or have insider recommendations; vc hires who have relationships and sometimes the ego of a founder. secondments help, but only if you end up owning something meaningful there. don’t waste time on fancier titles that don’t give you real exposure. do one solid operational project, make it measurable, then tell that story concisely.
i asked my manager for a secondment and got one at a biz ops team — huge learning. small tip: ask for clear deliverables so it isn’t just “exposure”. anyone else had luck cold-emailing corp dev heads?
corporate development and venture capital require different value propositions. for corp dev, emphasize domain expertise, stakeholder management, and the ability to execute complex deals inside a bureaucratic environment. for vc, build conviction through differentiated sourcing, operational due diligence, and preferably a network that surfaces proprietary deals. secondments and rotational roles can work, but insist on ownership: deliver a 90-day project with measurable outcomes. for vc, consider angel investing or joining a founder network to build deal flow. which path aligns better with your appetite for internal politics versus external sourcing?
both paths are reachable with focused moves! pick one small, measurable goal (like a secondment or a lead on a deal) and pursue it with energy — progress compounds quickly.
i landed a corp dev role after pushing to support a cross-functional integration project and documenting the savings we created. it wasn’t glamorous: 3 months of data-cleaning and uncomfortable meetings. but the exec who ran corp dev noticed and later offered an intro. for vc, a friend of mine started angel investing small amounts and writing short thesis notes — those notes ended up on a partner’s desk. both required patience and visible, tangible outcomes.
success rates indicate that analysts who complete at least one operational secondment and produce a measurable outcome (cost savings, revenue uplift, or integration KPI) increase interview callbacks for corporate development by roughly 40%. for venture capital, demonstrable deal-sourcing activity or a documented investment track record (even at small scale) correlates with higher conversion rates. quantify any internal projects: state baseline metrics, your intervention, and the delta. recruiters respond to measurable impact more than vague “exposure.”