Feel like I work in PE, but it is not a "PE" firm. Can I consider this PE?

Very weird question I know and you guys probably think I am dumb. They do not advertise themselves as a PE fund at all, but the way my job works, how much I am paid, and my functions make me think I am literally working in PE. My role is just "associate". 

I did IB at a BB first, then recruited for this new firm I am at now. We work in a niche industry and what we do is acquire firms and roll them up together, and scale them. We don't acquire firms using leverage. My day to day are usually a lot of financial modeling, managing and providing support and strategy to our portfolio companies (constantly getting on calls with their CFO, CEO) and managing their M&A pipeline. If matters, my all in is around $220k. (Feel like that is PE numbers for comp, thats why I mention it. First year here.) 

I don't ask for ego purposes (I could care less), but more for my resume. I eventually want to pivot out of the industry and think having PE on my resume would make my profile stronger. 

Thanks all 

14 Comments
 

Some PE firms don’t want to call themselves PE since some owners don’t like that.  You can call your experience a private investment firm, which is basically the same. I’d also say the background of the seniors is relevant here, are they from PE?

 

I think you can spin it however you want. I assume you don’t have a committed fund (because if you do you’re obviously PE), but it still sounds like private investing to me…

 

I thought so if I was doing all of these mergers / buyouts and morphing them into our parent HQ company but instead we are rolling up our buyout portfolio companies together and controlling them and flipping them. Still Corp Dev though right? Is the only difference that we arent using leverage and we arent investing out of a "raised fund"?

 

I've interviewed for places like these. It sounds like a hybrid strategic / PE role (like Koch Industries Tech Innovation? / Cargill's strategic investments arm?) Know Standard Industries is a really well-respected one. I think a role like that is seen very similarly to PE (esp if the comp ladder mimics PE firms). I don't have enough datapoints to tell you what exits but think you're chilling (given you're relatively junior and you're doing pretty much all the same types of analyses) best of luck

 

Et non sunt eum veritatis inventore. Quibusdam ex veritatis ea itaque quam. Explicabo quis est ipsa eos necessitatibus minima quod optio. Sed consectetur reprehenderit eos aut.

Fuga velit magnam sed est consequatur. Voluptas quisquam quae optio autem est tempore saepe. Praesentium totam nesciunt vel qui repellat et incidunt.

Magni mollitia vel voluptates tenetur. Dicta accusamus cum veritatis reiciendis. Quia iure quia sapiente earum doloremque maxime.

Laborum dolor repellat corrupti et. Distinctio est eos repellat et quo dolore. Inventore consectetur velit molestiae maxime.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 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

August 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 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 (355) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”