Should I focus on FT recruiting?

Just started a SA stint at a well known MM IB firm in a coverage team in a 2nd tier city (one of William Blair, Harris Williams, Piper Jaffray). So far only been working for 2 weeks, but really like the team and the work is interesting. I have already been staffed on two large live deals, a sell-side and a buy-side. Doing actual modeling work on the sell-side, and representing a well known sponsor for the buy-side.

My ultimate goal is upper MM PE, so I came in with the intention of doing as well as I could during the internship and trying for FT recruiting afterwards at BB/EB, as I had struck out with them during the summer process. However, I realized a couple of things in the past few days: 1) The bank works with many if not most of the PE shops I was looking at, and 2) My group has great deal flow.

How will the PE opportunities look for me based on this information? Should I still try to FT recruit?

3 Comments
 

Yea, as I mentioned my number 1 goal is to work as hard as possible this summer, learn as much as I can and get a return offer. That's where my issue comes from, I'm not sure how willing PE firms are willing to interview candidates from 2nd tier cities + not a BB/EB.

That being said, I've already been on calls (listened in on sell side deals) with top PE firms. Does this matter at all, or does basically every MM firm interact with most top PE firms?

 

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