Mid-Career Transition to J.P. Morgan

Question

Hi all,

I’m exploring a career transition and wanted to get some input from folks familiar with hiring at top banks.

I’ve spent the past 8+ years working in financial consulting and then moved into an internal leadership role at a large bank, mostly focused on finance and risk projects. While I’ve gained solid exposure to regulatory work, team leadership, and senior-level reporting, I’m now aiming to move into a more dynamic, front-facing role (ideally in investment banking, corporate strategy, or finance transformation). My preference would be JPM, but another BB would work as well.

My challenge is figuring out how to frame my experience in a way that signals I’m ready for that shift and not just a back-office expert. I don’t have a traditional IB background, so I’m curious:

What types of achievements or keywords make a CV jump out in JPM's recruiting process?
Is it better to lead with leadership and cross-functional work or technical finance knowledge?
How much should I tailor my story around problem-solving and adaptability?

Appreciate any advice from those who've made a similar move or have insight into what resonates with JPM recruiters.

Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Hey, there!
Great question. Based on what you’ve shared, you’re in a strong position to make this kind of move.

The key is framing your experience in a way that highlights business impact. Even if your past roles were more on the internal or regulatory side, focus on how you influenced decisions, drove change, or delivered results. That’s what stands out to recruiters at JPM.

I’d lead with your leadership and cross-functional experience, especially if you worked closely with senior stakeholders or helped shape strategy. But it’s just as important to show you’re comfortable with finance fundamentals. Things like financial modeling, commercial thinking, and understanding market dynamics should come through clearly in your resume and interviews.

In terms of keywords, think strategic initiatives, performance improvement, financial insights, client exposure, or transformation projects. Use the language of the roles you’re targeting so it’s easy for someone skimming your CV to see the fit.

Problem-solving and adaptability definitely matter. JPM values people who can handle complex situations, work across teams, and stay sharp under pressure. If that’s part of your story, don’t hold back on it.

It sounds like you’ve already built a strong foundation. With the right positioning, you can absolutely land interviews for front-facing roles.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

You’re at an exciting and very viable pivot point. With 8+ years of experience in both consulting and internal leadership within a bank, you're not starting from scratch — you’re repositioning your narrative. The focus now is less about checking traditional investment banking boxes, and more about showing how your experience translates into value in a front-office context.

Rather than emphasizing the "back-office" nature of your current role, showcase how you've been at the center of complex initiatives — whether that’s navigating regulatory change, leading high-impact finance projects, or interacting with senior decision-makers. These are moments that reflect judgment, leadership, and your ability to operate across functions — key attributes for roles in strategy, IB, or transformation.

On your CV and in interviews, anchor your story in outcomes. Quantify where you can: cost savings, efficiency gains, improvements in risk visibility or reporting. Use phrases aligned with the language of the front office — things like transaction exposure, business-critical delivery, financial steering, or enterprise-level strategy. These subtle shifts help reframe your experience through the lens JPM (and other BBs) tend to filter for.

And finally, don’t underestimate how valuable your blend of consulting structure and banking insight is — it’s rare. You’ve likely worked in ambiguous, high-pressure environments and led through complexity. That kind of adaptability and problem-solving, when told with clarity and confidence, resonates well in this space.

You're not missing anything — the next step is just refining your message so it lands where you want it to.

Answer 3

Having worked in both consulting and finance, I’d say the main difference is the focus. In consulting, it’s about big... (read entire answer)

Having worked in both consulting and finance, I’d say the main difference is the focus. In consulting, it’s about big-picture problem-solving, like helping a client expand into... (read entire answer)