About to graduate, what kinds of jobs will give me a chance at getting into PE?

Hello! I've searched around on these forums and it seems that getting a job in IB might (?) help my chances of getting into PE, but I'm struggling with figuring out what kinds of jobs I need to be looking at.

I go to CU Boulder and am getting my BA in Economics. I was hit with some shitty family issues throughout college and I let my GPA tank to a 3, but I'm persistent and will take a low end job to begin my path towards where I want to be. I have a friend that works at Goldman that is going to introduce me to a few people that he knows from different firms/boutiques and I've explained my goals to him, which is good, but I also need to poke around online. I'm not sure what kinds of specific job titles and firms I should be looking for AND that may give me the opportunity to secure an interview. For what it's worth, I'm willing to travel out of state to help my career.

I would really appreciate some guidance, thanks to everyone reading this!

4 Comments
 

Is that the only role that would work? I feel like I need to be more flexible because my gpa is not great and I don't have tons of relevant experience. Is there a job I could get before being and investment banking analyst to help myself get interview?

 
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IB straight out of undergrad seems unrealistic with your GPA and school pedigree (I'm not hating I'm just telling it like it is - I come from a non-target too). My advice would be to look for stepping stone roles into IB or MBB consulting. Things like TAS at EY, Valuation Analyst at Duff & Phelps, KPMG Deals Advisory, etc. These are roles you can still recruit for and might have a shot at with some networking. Then work hard for 1-2 years and try to lateral into IB or MBB. I know a guy who did this for 1 year, then IB for 2 years and is now in PE. It's not the most direct route, but it can work if you hustle

 

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