What are the most common exit opportunities after investment banking and how long would I have to pull through to have the best input-output-ratio?
The most common exits from IB are private equity, hedge funds, corporate development, venture capital, and startups, with PE being the most popular. Some also move into investing roles at family offices, strategy roles at big tech, or even their own ventures.
To maximize your input-output ratio, the sweet spot is usually 2–3 years. That’s enough to build strong deal experience and position yourself well for top exits without burning out. If you can make it to VP, your options expand even more, but most go for the early jump.
Happy to help if you have specific targets in mind.
Hello there,
as our Finance community is still building up, we hope we can help.
From our perspective, the most common exit opportunities after IB are Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and Corporate Development
PE is probably the "classic" IB exit. If you like the idea of working on deals but want more of a say in how companies grow and operate (instead of just advising), PE is a solid move. Most PE firms recruit analysts with 2–3 years of IB experience since that’s enough time to build up your deal-making and modeling skills. Plus, the pay’s great, and the hours are better.
If markets and investing are more your thing, HFs could be a great fit. You’ll get to dive deep into market trends and build investment strategies. Just know it’s a different vibe—more fast-paced and market-focused than deal-focused.
Corporate Development is a great option if you’re looking for a real work-life balance. It’s still strategic, but without the IB hours.
2–3 years in IB is usually enough time to get the skills you need, build a solid resume, and leverage your experience into a top exit role. Of course, if you’re totally burned out or already clear on what you want to do, you could jump sooner—just make sure you’ve got enough experience to make the transition smooth.
We hope this helps and wish you much success for your next career move! ?
