Navigating Your M&A Career Options

Navigating Your M&A Career Options

If you are trying to get into, move up in, or move out of the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) field, we have a matrix for you.

M&A-related occupations expose practitioners to a variety of businesses and situations that help develop a broad set of skills highly relevant and applicable to numerous other fields and occupations. The below matrix summarizes some common paths but is by no means comprehensive. 

M&A Career Paths by Profession

 

Financial Due Diligence (FDD)

Investment Banking

Leveraged Lending

Private Equity

Known Feeders

  • Audit
  • Valuation & Appraisal
  • Undergraduate & Graduate Campus Hires
  • Undergraduate & Graduate Campus Hires
  • Management Consulting
  • FDD
  • Leveraged Lending
  • Equity Research
  • Other Underwriting Roles in a Bank
  • Investment Banking
  • Management Consulting
  • FDD
  • Undergraduate & Graduate Campus Hires
  • Investment Banking
  • Management Consulting
  • FDD
  • Undergraduate & Graduate Campus Hires

Promotion Path / Staffing Pyramid

  • Associate
  • Sr. Associate
  • Manager
  • Director
  • Managing Director
  • Partner
  • Analyst
  • Associate
  • Vice President
  • Director
  • Managing Director
  • Associate
  • Sr. Associate
  • Vice President
  • Managing Director
  • Associate
  • Sr. Associate
  • Vice President
  • Principal
  • Partner

Emerging (Junior) Professional Leading Skills

  • Business Model Evaluation
  • Accounting Expertise
  • Understanding Common Adjustments
  • Financial & Data Analysis
  • Business Writing
  • PowerPoint
  • Understanding the Deal Process
  • Project / Process Management
  • Business Model Evaluation
  • Financial & Data Analysis
  • Business Writing
  • PowerPoint
  • Valuation Fundamentals
  • Business Model Evaluation
  • Cash Flow Modeling
  • Business Writing
  • Data Analysis
  • Understanding the Deal Process
  • Understanding the Deal Process
  • Project / Process Management
  • Business Model Evaluation
  • Deconstruct an Investment Thesis into a Diligence Plan
  • Business Writing
  • Vendor Management
  • Financial & Data Analysis
  • Cash Flow Modeling
  • Valuation Fundamentals

Mid-Career Professional Leading Skills

  • Project / Process Management
  • Client Management
  • Synthesis & Messaging
  • Editing
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Project / Process Management
  • Client Management
  • Synthesis, Positioning, & Messaging
  • Editing
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Investment Acumen
  • Client Management
  • Editing
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills
  • Investment Acumen
  • Project / Process Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Editing
  • Mentoring & Coaching
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills

M&A Leader Key Leading Skills

  • Investment Acumen
  • Network Building
  • Business Development
  • Delegation & Accountability
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills
  • Strong Oral Communication
  • Investment Acumen
  • Network Building
  • Business Development
  • Delegation & Accountability
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills
  • Strong Oral Communication
  • Investment Acumen
  • Network Building
  • Deal Flow Generation
  • Delegation & Accountability
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills
  • Strong Oral Communication
  • Investment Acumen
  • Network Building
  • Deal Flow Generation
  • Delegation & Accountability
  • Negotiation & Persuasion Skills
  • Strong Oral Communication

Common Career Avenues After

  • Financial Ops / FP&A
  • Controller / CFO
  • Corporate Development & Strategy
  • Entrepreneur
  • Management Consulting
  • Private Equity
  • Risk Management & Compliance
  • Valuation & Appraisals
  • Private Equity
  • Corporate Development & Strategy
  • Executive / C-level Positions
  • Lending
  • Entrepreneur
  • Family Office
  • Hedge Funds
  • Management Consulting
  • Commercial Due Diligence
  • REITs
  • Corporate Development & Strategy
  • Investment Banking
  • Entrepreneur
  • Private Equity
  • Management Consulting
  • Hedge Funds
  • REITs
  • Family Office
  • Corporate Development & Strategy
  • Executive / C-level Positions
  • Investment Banking
  • Management Consulting
  • Operating Partner
  • Entrepreneur
  • Lending
  • Hedge Funds
  • REITs
Share the Post:

Sign-up for Email Updates