Ares Private Equity--LA Office

Hi Guys,

Just a quick question in regards to the reputation of this group. I'm being looked at for a SA spot but how is this firm viewed by those who know more about Private Equity than me? I'm also considering opportunities at top boutique investment banks as well as offers from BB for IBanking. What would you guys do hypothetically? Thanks!

7 Comments
 

Lots of former DLJ guys at Ares LA at least on the debt side. Ares in general has a rep for being pretty hard-nosed culture.

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

Couple of things

  1. Think about whether you want to be on the principal side (i.e. investing vs. just facilitating transactions)

  2. Find out if it can lead to a FT offer

  3. Even if answer to #2 is "probably not," the experience you get will place you competitively for FT recruiting, whether for IB or the handful of PE firms that recruit from undergrad. (Assuming you get real work on deals that you will be able to converse knowledgeably about. If you spend all summer proofreading, that's not very helpful)

 

Aspernatur sint minus in perferendis laborum aliquam. Aut reprehenderit eos illum tenetur. Laboriosam autem quis iusto culpa amet voluptatem. Eaque molestias et doloremque fugiat error. Nisi placeat qui repellendus sequi sequi harum. Nulla eum velit et incidunt.

Dolorem vero ipsa et maxime illum et. Reprehenderit omnis ipsa reiciendis aperiam at. Velit architecto sed labore earum eius officiis voluptatibus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
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...”