Getting into PE without IB in the UK.. thoughts?

Interested in hearing more about perspectives on this. While some make the point that IB to PE is a well-trodden path, I saw a comment on a similar post called 'Getting into PE skipping IB' which detailed that the 'training' aspect within IB to condition you for PE is not always apparent.

Was intrigued to know, how feasible is it to break into PE from undergrad in the UK compared to IB?

2 Comments
 

10x harder, but doable. IB recruiting from undergrad is much more structured and makes sense for Banks to hire a ton of grads to do pitchbooks, modelling and research material. Churn is high and you do a lot of pitching for every closed transaction. PE firms (except MFs), don’t have the capacity to fully train you for a couple of years until you start adding value to them because the more basic work is outsourced anyways, so they would rather hire an associate from a bank which comes pre-cooked already. 

With that said, more and more firms are offering internships and converting interns which gives you a chance. I have done it (albeit I had an internship at a BB) and know a few more people who have also done it. 

 

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