Which type of PE to pursue? -- Need advice

Hi All,

Sophomore interning at BB this summer and interested in PE long term.

How does one decide whether to pursue traditional LBO PE or distressed PE? I have done my research and I have taken away that traditional PE is more about looking at a business model and distressed PE is more focused on capital structure.

In your opinion, what are the key differences? Are there any shops that come to mind where you would be exposed to both?

I understand that an M&A Group may prepare you best for traditional PE and a Restructuring Group may prepare you best for distressed PE. That said, can an M&A Banker do distressed PE and a Restructuring Banker do traditional PE?

Apologies for the long post, but the help is greatly appreciated!

3 Comments
 
Best Response

Id repellendus voluptatum qui totam voluptatem quo et ratione. Ad aliquid magnam quaerat sit dolore architecto. Eius aut et ullam beatae ut. Nemo porro nobis temporibus porro deserunt natus non. Dolorem rerum dolor quia facere enim consequatur soluta nesciunt.

Et dolores eligendi velit. Porro qui laboriosam incidunt. Itaque amet et quia. Corporis sunt pariatur suscipit dolore debitis. Temporibus nihil voluptas labore autem unde.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”