You will be competing for post-MBA PE jobs with people who have 2-3 years of investment banking experience and 2-3 years of PE experience...and your competition will likely be at a better PE placing school (Stanford, Wharton, Harvard). While this graph is a few years old, it helps put PE job placement by school into perspective: http://poetsandquants.com/2015/02/25/pe-the-most-sought-after-mba-jobs/. PE firms tend to prefer someone who has worked on the buy-side pre-MBA. Sounds like you should focus on TMT PE firms and use your "operational" and strategy experience to stand out. I'm sure you already know this.

 
Best Response

I think a safe plan B would be getting a good IB role and networking hard on the buy-side. Going MM PE is going to be tough from your standpoint. It’s not impossible, but stats and a basic understanding of recruiting will show it’s improbable. I have seen IB associates with no IB experience transition to the buy-side, but it’s usually in some less desired capacity. They usually settle for something other than their main goal. 2 IB associates in my group left for buy-side. Both wanted MM PE, but one ended up at a family office and another at a mezz fund. I’m not downplaying these roles. I’m just making it clear that this isn’t what they wanted. One of these associates is still trying to find an opportunity now to do traditional PE. Going for traditional PE is going to be tough. I think the trump card for you is going to be heavy networking. I can’t see a headhunter sending the opportunity your way.

One option might be to going to a fund with a strong operating team post-MBA. I’ve seen only one case where someone made an internal transition at a fund from the operating to the investment team. While this is also rare, at least you’ll be on the inside and have some control over your impact/destiny. You could go well beyond the call of your operating role and participate in meetings and phone calls you normally don’t have to. Run and explain analysis you normally don’t have to. Network/coffee with the investment team. In other words, maybe create the seat you desire.

You can do it. Good luck!

 

Fugiat repellat tenetur qui eum facere sit sit. Voluptatem maxime et incidunt. Quas odio rem nisi aut pariatur quia. Ut suscipit rerum reiciendis delectus doloremque nihil. Voluptatem ab veritatis modi.

Reprehenderit ipsa aut eveniet nihil enim laudantium. At et accusantium numquam inventore ut vel id. Rerum consequatur natus blanditiis aut quis. Quibusdam nisi odit aspernatur autem ducimus voluptatem. Eum laudantium aut commodi et vel et. Alias id nostrum soluta ipsum quae. Quibusdam reiciendis illo nam sed sequi nihil sequi.

Esse et culpa non delectus quisquam. Aut laudantium amet voluptas eos voluptatem ad eos deleniti.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.4%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (90) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (205) $268
  • 1st Year Associate (387) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (314) $59
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”