Private Credit imposter syndrome
Starting a new job as an analyst for a private credit firm next week. Previously I was an analyst for a year at a bulge bracket doing commercial banking.
I had a phone call with my soon to be manager yesterday and he gave me a little rundown of things, and we talked about some of the ongoing deals that I will be contributing a portion of an investment memo for once I’m up to speed.
I want to his the ground running, but I feel like I won’t be able to provide the level of analysis they’re looking for. Commercial banking was a breeze: check liquidity ratios, check revenue/earnings trends, test covenants. I don’t imagine that this will fly at this firm, and I’m second guessing myself when trying to think of all the other things I should be focusing on.
My role is to conduct due diligence and check the health of the companies that our investments are involved with to make sure they’re healthy enough to pay us back. I know this sounds stupid, but could anyone give me some things I should always look for/point out in memos to get a sense of the health and ability to pay back our investment from these companies? I know this sounds like a stupid question, but I want to be able to think “as an investor” rather than from a banking perspective. That was even mentioned during the interview process.
Cant help you with the other stuff, but i can help you build an investor mindset. read books like the most important thing by howard marks and security analysis (newest edition)
That book is like 900 pages long lol
Funny part is that, generally, most everything you've learned goes out the window except specific calls from specific fundamentals. You shouldn't worry too much, though it's good to be anxious and striving to improve, because you're supposed to be somewhat clueless and learning at this stage. Being anxious as you are right now? I'd say you're set to become one of the sharper types around.
What was ur switch over to PC like? Starting at JPM CB and interested in going to PC at some point but curious about the recruiting process. Were u hired for immediate start or was it a delayed start? Also did you use a headhunter or was it just a resume drop on LinkedIn? Any other advice would be appreciated! Thanks and good luck in your new role
Why did you get 2 MS for this lol
Wasn't me but if I had to guess, probs cause it has nothing to do with OP
Read The Credit Investor's Handbook by Michael Gatto, should be good overview on what to expect in PC
That’s a good one but it’s very very basic and nothing like you will do in real life.
can you expand a little on what part you mean by that?
Disagree - solid resource for anyone looking to learn and those with more experience who just want to recap. Obviously there’s stuff to learn on the job, but I can’t actually think of a better resource for somebody in OP’s situation. Can you?
(In before someone suggests Moyer as being a practical guide for a typical PC/direct lending role..)
So from a memo perspective, here’s what you’ll break down:
Every firm does it differently but this is what you can expect at a base level.
Read all the investment committee memos when you join the firm and you will get a sense of how they conduct/summarize diligence. That should likely inform you for the deals you are staffed on. My guess is the process will seem more qualitative than quantitative (depending on sectors you invest in), although you will probably be in charge of the modeling piece too.
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