Boutique PE
PE
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(Senior Chimp, 24
Points)
on 3/24/08 at 2:59am
I was wondering how a two year program at a boutique PE firm looks compares to doing two years at a BB?
Any insight would be great!





depends
It's really hit or miss. Generally, the consensus is that a buyside job is better than a sellside one. In my opinion, it really comes down to the firm.
No matter what side of the transaction you're working on, solid deal experience is most important early in your career. If this boutique PE shop is very active, then I'd say it would be worth taking (especially if PE is where you ultimately want to be). There is, however, such a thing as a firm being too small. While you tend to get more hands-on and diverse experience in this situation, there's only so many active deals a smaller firm can handle at a given time.
Another thing you miss at a boutique PE shop is the opportunity to network with a larger analyst class. You'd be surprised how many senior guys still keep in touch with people from their analyst class 20+ years ago - both on a personal and professional standpoint.
All that being said, you really need to gauge the quality of experience you'd be getting at each. Try talking to current analysts at the firm for further insight