career path question

there are people that work in PE from both those backgrounds, but you'll have to do a fair amount of legwork getting into PE from either field. that being said, i'd think your chances of getting into PE are better coming from BB ER as well. my sense is that BB ER is probably more selective (and PE seems to care a lot about pre-screening), it's more lucrative, you actually gain experience in looking at companies from the perspective of an investor. i find that the analytical skills gained in research are something that's helped me a fair amount in PE so far...and of course, i switched to PE/buyouts from a BB ER background and had about a dozen PE interviews, so it's clearly possible to make that move if you're good at it.

it definitely takes a lot of legwork though -- you really have to know your accounting and basic modeling skills (M&A and LBO) pretty well, as PE firms are much more likely to test you on this if you didn't come from a banking background. in addition, i had other stuff i could speak to, such as my undergraduate background, fast-tracking my way up to an MBA-level role in ER, and finally, my ability to land BB banking offers but also explaining why i chose to go into ER instead of banking straight out of undergrad. i basically felt like i had to do everything on point when it came to getting involved in the PE recruiting process, especially since i wasn't a traditional banking candidate.

that being said, it sounds like you've been out of college for a while, so even if you were to land a job in big 4 advisory or BB ER, you'd probably be too far along your pre-MBA career to look like an attractive PE candidate. it will be an uphill battle for you either way to get into PE...let alone to get into either big 4 advisory or BB ER if you haven't already done so. i wish i could give you a greater vote of confidence, but it's not easy to do.