if you are in a tier 1 firm, might be worth it to apply as an a0 in tier 2/ tier 3 firms in an area of your choice - work there for a year or so and then start looking at t1s. heck you can directly apply to t1s saying you want to apply as a fresher. know quite a few people from tta who were working in debt capital markets for a year and the moved to capital markets, m&a, disputes and gen corp in other tier 1 firms.

I’m at PQE1 and feeling completely stuck. I'd accepted this job believing I’d be doing broad work (part of taxation laws within GC [if it makes sense] when I was promised general GC), but right after starting, I got funneled into this tiny, obscure niche that almost nobody else wants to work in (or knows about). On top of that, the team is miserable to work with, and the pay ended up being way lower than what was promised when I accepted the offer. Because I have less than a year of experience and my work isn't really transferable, HR process keeps killing my chances before I can get anywhere, even when I reach out directly to alumni or partners about junior openings in other practice areas. Going back to school isn't financially doable right now, and the hours leave zero room to study for other credentials or exams. I’m early in my career and terrified of getting permanently pigeonholed into a dead-end niche. For anyone who managed to pivot practice areas this early, how did you actually pull it off? What’s the most realistic way forward here?