I’ve spent the last three years in IB grinding through pitch books and deal execution, but now I’m targeting corporate development roles. Everyone says I need to ‘strategically repackage’ my experience, but what does that actually mean in interviews? For those who’ve made the jump: what frameworks or examples worked for translating technical skills into strategic M&A value? Specifically, how do you pivot from talking about execution to framing outcomes that appeal to hiring managers?
Having transitioned from IB to corporate development years ago, I’ll share a tactical approach. Corporate Dev hiring managers prioritize strategic vision over transactional execution. Focus on three areas: 1) Highlight cross-functional alignment — how you collaborated with legal/ops teams during deals, 2) Quantify how your due diligence influenced final deal terms, and 3) Frame financial modeling as a tool for assessing long-term value creation, not just valuations. A common mistake is listing technical skills without connecting them to business outcomes — always link your execution work to strategic objectives the company articulated post-acquisition.
the whole ‘repackaging’ thing is just corpo-speak for telling better lies. corp dev teams want people who’ll drink the kool-aid about synergy fantasies. just replace ‘i built the model’ with ‘i shaped the strategic narrative’ and watch their eyes glaze over. pro tip: steal buzzwords from their investor presentations and parrot them back.
following!! i keep getting asked about ‘strategic impact’ but i just ran comps and built slides?? pls help how do i make that sound fancy 
Analysis of 23 successful transitions in our community shows 82% emphasized operational due diligence over financial modeling. Example: Instead of ‘Built LBO models,’ frame as ‘Assessed post-merger integration risks through financial analysis, impacting synergy targets.’ Bonus: Reference any exposure to board-level presentations — corporate dev cares more about stakeholder management than valuation multiples.
When I switched last year, I almost blew it by talking about late-night Excel marathons. My mentor told me to flip the script — instead of detailing how I built models, I started explaining how my work revealed which acquisition targets could accelerate product roadmaps. Got two offers after that pivot. Funny how the same work sounds different!
You’ve got this! Your deal skills ARE strategic — just shine light on the big-picture impacts. Corporate teams will see your value 