PE Analyst -> PE Associate at another firm? Is this possible?

Will be starting as an Analyst out of college at an UMM PE firm. Decently well-known firm with a solid associate class, and I decided to take this job over a couple BB/EB IB offers despite the lesser-known brand name because I knew I wanted to do PE long-term and didn't want to work 100-hour weeks for the next 2 years.

Now I'm starting to get worried if I'll be stuck at this firm for longer than I want, and if headhunters would even consider me for Associate recruiting at MFs. Since "Private Equity Analysts" are a relatively new phenomenon, how do headhunters consider them in comparison to IB analysts?

 

I had the same question. Incoming analyst at a hf here. Was wondering how recruiting would work 2-3 years down the line if I'm not doing ib with headhunters and stuff. Someone at my internship told me that I would have a leg up since I already have relevant investing exp rather than 1-2 years of ib but some places might just want someone with ib exp or I'm also thinking about how some opportunities are only sourced through HHs and potentially missing out on those

 

By reaching out to HHs do you just mean just signing up on their portals if any / shooting them an email or message on linkedin? I'm not sure what would be the best approach here. I don't want to seem like someone who just wants out of the job before it has even begun. It makes more sense for ib since they want to exit to the buyside, but I don't really want to exit, I just want to be on their lookout if some other fund with a similar strategy has a seat in the future.

Would you happen to have an idea about how one should reach out here? Obviously can't reach out along the lines of "making the jump to the buyside and looking at funds with xyz strategy" since I'm kind of already there

 

Yes, definitely possible - it's a small pool still but I've definitely seen a number of people with this background. Just be more proactive about reaching out to headhunters to get on their radar (also be careful navigating your own organization politically in terms of taking time off for interviews, etc. because the culture is likely less open than banking where it is expected)

 

There's less than 10 recruiting firms that dominate 90% of buy-side recruiting. Your friends who opted for investment banking will know all of them after a couple months on the desk, probably easiest to get the full list and then send an intro email to their info@whatever address for each firm.

If you're already familiar with who the big search firms are then just use their website. LinkedIn is sort of a crap shoot outside of alumni networking.

 

If it's a reputable firm (sounds like it is), you should do as well as most banking analysts...

Think about it this way: 1. Your current gig is reputable (compares favorably / on par with IB) 2. You probably know a bit more about day-to-day PE tasks. PE firms are lazy and don't want to train folks - that's why historically they recruit from IB (let IB take ivy league clay and mold it into promising young finance monkeys...)

 
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