Trying to figure out when to join a HF from PE vs. if/when to go to business school

I just caught up with a recruiter who said that generally HFs don't really care about business school and if anything it's a net negative. 

I've wanted to go to business school for a long time, and I don't really like PE at around the 1y mark (at a GTCR, Francisco, Berkshire type fund that does well at H/S/W). I also am getting adverts from dream job HFs.

Part of me wants to go back to business school because it's the last time to "feel the magic" (e.g., like when you first start in banking/consulting out of undergrad and have a strong cohort of new friends, partying and doing something new together). I have wanted this for many years.

At the same time, I'm worried that I'm missing out on roles that will be hard to come by again later. I know big firms like Viking and Lone Pine recruit out of bschool, but I don't work at a BX KKR Apollo type feeder fund, and I don't want to work at a HF that's PE-like (model jockey, crazy detailed diligence, insane 100h+ weeks, etc.).

Will I miss out on the juicy roles by going to business school? How should I be thinking about this timeline?

12 Comments
 

Recruit now in PE and also apply for b school. You should get looks from any SM assuming you have a good background. Bigger issue is striking out and at least doing MBA will get you another shot unless you warm up to MM platforms which will be slightly easier just given the numbers of seats/turnover is higher (but even MM is super competitive...)

 

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