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You will be competing for post-MBA PE jobs with people who have 2-3 years of investment banking experience and 2-3 years of PE experience...and your competition will likely be at a better PE placing school (Stanford, Wharton, Harvard). While this graph is a few years old, it helps put PE job placement by school into perspective: http://poetsandquants.com/2015/02/25/pe-the-most-sought-after-mba-jobs/. PE firms tend to prefer someone who has worked on the buy-side pre-MBA. Sounds like you should focus on TMT PE firms and use your "operational" and strategy experience to stand out. I'm sure you already know this.
Thank you. That's in line with what I am thinking too. What would you say would be a safe plan B?
I think a safe plan B would be getting a good IB role and networking hard on the buy-side. Going MM PE is going to be tough from your standpoint. It’s not impossible, but stats and a basic understanding of recruiting will show it’s improbable. I have seen IB associates with no IB experience transition to the buy-side, but it’s usually in some less desired capacity. They usually settle for something other than their main goal. 2 IB associates in my group left for buy-side. Both wanted MM PE, but one ended up at a family office and another at a mezz fund. I’m not downplaying these roles. I’m just making it clear that this isn’t what they wanted. One of these associates is still trying to find an opportunity now to do traditional PE. Going for traditional PE is going to be tough. I think the trump card for you is going to be heavy networking. I can’t see a headhunter sending the opportunity your way.
One option might be to going to a fund with a strong operating team post-MBA. I’ve seen only one case where someone made an internal transition at a fund from the operating to the investment team. While this is also rare, at least you’ll be on the inside and have some control over your impact/destiny. You could go well beyond the call of your operating role and participate in meetings and phone calls you normally don’t have to. Run and explain analysis you normally don’t have to. Network/coffee with the investment team. In other words, maybe create the seat you desire.
You can do it. Good luck!
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I would be interested to know too that how is a combination of banking and consulting experience viewed by buyside firms post MBA.
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