Pivot, no table

Hey all,

I'm a first year analyst doing asset management for a CRE loan servicing company (knocked it out of the park, I know). Graduated last summer with a finance / real estate degree, earning a flat 3.5 from an ACC state school. 

My job now is pretty easy, and I'm on track for a promotion to associate as I'm closing out my first year. That being said, I'm looking to pivot my career into something more engaging or that has a higher upside in the long-term. 

Looking for something:

  • Attainable. Need to be able to realistically pivot into the role with my less-than-impressive resume (no IB / PE, at least initially)

  • Relatively engaging / challenging / satisfying. I understand this is relative, but the bar is pretty low with my current job. Looking for something that is interesting, has decent travel, pushes you to constantly learn, or where I can contribute to larger scale projects or have goals to hit. Areas that have caught my eye are consulting and corporate development, but it seems like these really aren't options unless you have IB experience or a top-end education pedigree. 

  • Has decent WLB. My job now is almost too much "life" not enough "work", but also not looking for something where 70 hour work weeks are the norm, at least long term. I'd be willing to put up with long hours for <5 years if it would lead to greater opportunities down the road.

  • Higher upside in the long term. Would like a decent salary initially, but more importantly would like opportunities to earn more down the road if I put in the work. However, I'm cool with maxing out at $225-250K assuming I could get there in 10 - 15 years (although the quicker the better, obviously). I don't see myself as the type of person that would stick around in the corporate world if I made over $350K; I'd likely stay put for a year or two then fuck off and start a business or get involved in real estate investing, etc. 

Any suggestions for career paths to check out? Can be in either the finance or real estate side of things.

It appears that if I wanted to eventually aim for consulting / corporate development / strategy, I'd need to build up my resume and gain some experience. Is the FP&A route a path that will give you decently transferrable experience to these careers, or a shot at a top b-school (which could then make these attainable)? 

 

Qui fugiat nemo magni saepe. Eveniet eius officia vel rerum vel soluta dolor. Iusto nihil velit quo voluptas fuga enim. Quia assumenda nisi aut magni illo. Aperiam consectetur dolorem et ex error odio occaecati.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 18 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (20) $385
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”