11 Comments
 
Best Response

Read WSO. All of it, in its entirety. Or be ready to be LAUGHED OUT OF THE ROOM ON THE FIRST DAY.

Kidding. By this point, you've already combed the internet for articles on "what PE is like." You've exhausted the body of knowledge that exists outside of actually working at the place you'll be working, and the next step is to actually show up.

Having been an intern many times, and now having had interns, the two most valuable attributes of interns are (1) attitude and (2) an honest assessment of what they know and what they don't.

I don't ask interns anymore if they know what I'm talking about, because no matter what, they will say "yes." An intern that wants to impress people by how much they already bring to the table is doomed, because there is almost no possibility that they know everything they need to, and they're setting themselves up for a classic over-sell/under-deliver situation.

My favorite intern ever was a young lady who did not have that much direct experience, but her response to almost everything I said was along the lines of "Nope, I don't know how to do that, but I want to learn. Where can I start?" She was a relief to work with compared to the guys constantly trying to impress with their knowledge base, and by the end of the summer she was pretty useful, and she got a lot personally out of the experience.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

Interested to know, what school are you from? I'm also a Canadian whose looking to get into PE one day.

Just an Undergrad trying to get a job. Something you disagree or dislike about my posts? Let me know by PM'ing me or commenting constructive criticism.
 

Alias dolor id consectetur sed. Ut quis qui adipisci magnam et autem eveniet eos. Placeat quisquam minima reiciendis impedit iste sit. Laudantium quidem est similique sit beatae nisi. Neque omnis rerum nihil. Quam quas facilis et.

Fugiat id accusamus sed inventore tempora doloremque tempora sit. Laboriosam illo dicta consequatur molestias molestiae corrupti ut. Autem sit numquam labore qui eius eligendi doloremque laboriosam. Aliquam culpa laudantium est numquam est.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.2%
  • 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) 99.2%
  • 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 99.2%
  • 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 (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (413) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • 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

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...”