Thanks. Good luck!

Great advice Brian. Wrestled with the exit options bit, but decided to skip the nonsense and go with Corp Dev, thanks!

#1 gives you more options overall, but #2 might be better if your specific goal is venture capital. But I don’t think #2 provides a huge benefit for VC roles over a tech IB role, as many tech bankers go into VC anyway. I don’t really think they would bring you in at a senior level in VC unless you are a C-level executive at this company, and it performs very well. So… it depends on whether you’re most interested in VC or could see yourself in other roles, and also the level you’ll be entering IB at. If they’re going to make you a Year 1 Analyst, you might just want to skip all the nonsense and go to Corp Dev for more interesting work and a better lifestyle.

Not really, the usual networking strategies and tactics apply. Reach out via LinkedIn/email, say you found the position, explain your family entrepreneurship background + sales experience and how that makes you a good candidate, and ask if they can tell you anything more about the role. Direct VC work experience doesn’t necessarily matter that much.

I currently work in equity sales, first at a big IB for many years and now at a smaller broker. I found a role at a multi-stage VC firm that I am incredibly interested in (impact investing). I have experience with the relationship aspects of the role they are hiring for, but less so the startup experience and investment process knowledge.

Do you have any advice on how I might ‘break in’ to this role or write a cover letter that could position me well enough to get a first interview? I am passionate about impact investing and come from a family of entrepreneurs (having initiated investor conversations for my own company in the past), but have no direct work experience in VC.

Thanks alot – much appreciated!

I noticed you’ve just uploaded an article on the London PE industry

Would be good to see something similar for London VC

It will be very difficult to go from the startup back into IB if you’re at all considering that. VC will be easier, but still not a sure thing because the roles are still different (reporting/budgeting vs. investing). It also depends on how big the startup currently is. You generally want companies with between 20 and 100 million or so in revenue, as there’s too much risk associated with ones smaller than that.

I’m in the UK

I’m 5 months into my full time Transaction Services / FDD role at a Big4 firm (in the TMT team in London) but I’ve been offered a financial analyst position at an extremely fast growing FinTech startup

My plan at the Big4 was to switch to Banking after 3 years (chartered qualification) and then maybe VC after – or maybe go straight into VC after my chartered qualification

Do you think there’s the possibility in working at a start-up in a finance capacity then making the switch to VC (the start-up will also support my Chartered accountancy) I feel as if the Big4 path is very well defined and I know what’s to come

But the start-up route would lead to a bigger network and faster growth through more responsibility?

Would like to hear your thoughts

Thanks in advance :)

My advice is to read this article and follow the tips here: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/engineer-to-venture-capital/

https://mattturck.com/playing-fake-vc-or-the-portfolio-approach-to-getting-a-job-in-venture-capital-2/