Headhunter Calls On Cycle 2025

Had reach out from 2 headhunters to schedule calls – should we anticipate the process locking off in the next week or two? Could be an absolute mess all round if so

Mod alert: We have announced a PE Interview boot camp for July 21, 2023. Check it out here: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/courses/live-training/private-equity-interview-bootcamp. Happy recruiting!

Mod alert 2: The Bootcamp is sold out. If you couldn't get a seat, please check out our PE interview Course. Good luck with the interviews!

124 Comments
 

it's always a mess. If calls started to go out then on cycle will be soon. Soon as in NO longer than 2 weeks. Likely even sooner

 
Most Helpful

Yeah fuck that, I’m not ready, all these firms are gunna have to miss out on hiring me 😤😤 /s

 

“We are following up on our registration note to schedule a fifteen-minute introductory conversation with you. We would love the opportunity to discuss your background and interests, as well as answer any questions you may have about buyside recruiting.

 

Would love to be proven wrong here but I believe this is just HHs making sure they have you in their system IN CASE on cycle kicks off soon. That said, it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation cuz as soon as they start collecting names MFs find out and then they think they have to move as soon as possible. Last year I think everything kicked off after analysts finished training - would expect that to be the same this year at the minimum

 

Yep - can literally look at the thread from last year. Lots of people commenting "no way anything kicks off before labor day" and then interviews kicked off within a week of that initial CPI registration email

 
Funniest

davidsmith2:

Does anyone actually feel ready? Maybe if our class shits the bed hard enough they'll stop pushing the timeline up lol

Nah. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but doing it as early as possible is completely no regrets for PE firms. You snap up all the little hardos that absolutely crushed paper LBOs blindfolded in fluent Latin at age 14 back at THE Phillips Exeter Academy and fill the rest of your class in the off cycle by putting people through 15 rounds of interviews including technicals with the entire janitorial staff and 4 hour take home excel tests.

That’s not gonna change any time soon

 

djdiidudus:

The first movers are planning to kick off on Friday 

Don’t believe Mr. 5 banana

 

djdiidudus:

The first movers are planning to kick off on Friday 

Don't believe Mr. 5 banana

Fair enough — am not going to jeopardize my position by posting from an account with any history. Take or leave as you will.

 

Would not be surprised, headhunters and firms rapidly moving it seems

 

Lowkey prob don’t want to ruin your reputation if you aren’t ready

 

how to best proceed if just starting prep - give up? this timeline is nuts, thought would have at least the weekend

Strategy depends on what you want:

  1. Are you happy with any seat in PE?
    • Go forth and on cycle your life away - worst case you get zero offers and just recruit on the off cycle. Best case you find a spot and never have to think about this again
  2. Would you only be happy with specific seats in PE (i.e. specific firms)?
    • 2a: Are you prepared for an excel test / paper LBO / general accounting & valuation question
      • The world is your oyster
    • 2b: What is LIBOR?
      • Categorically do not participate in on cycle. Most if not all firms that interview you in on cycle will not interview you in off cycle - you only get one shot at this. 
      • But what if my dream firm is BX/KKR/APO and they historically fill all their seats in on cycle?
        • ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - should have thought about that before going on that post-grad trip to Europe
 

You guys really don’t know shit this what everyone said last year too.

 

Lmao a variation of this exact statement was said last year the week before Labor Day and it still kicked off August 29

 

The whole point of on-cycle is that it's irrational. Nobody wants to kick off this early because the candidates suck, but nobody wants to be beat to be the first one. Actually a very interesting real life example of some game theory

 

Can be either - I've had HHs reach me on both and just ask the ones who email my company email to forward any communication to my personal

 

Anonymous Monkey:

Could just be coffee chats like every other firm is ramping up on right now

People forget on this site so easily - Apax kicked things off for on cycle 23 with this exact strategy. Invited kids to coffee chats which were actually first rounds.

To all of you that got a coffee chat with a director (lol), don’t be surprised if they ask you to do a paper LBO

 

Friend of mine is interviewing tonight at a small fund. Can't reveal name as would expose them but looks like things could be rolling...

 

As much as I like this website the misinformation on here is the reason why this process gets so expedited. Soon as someone says they heard that X firm kicks off (which is probably a rumor that isn't true) that leads to analysts chatting and telling HH they heard that X started etc. That then leads to HH telling firms to start because thats the chatter they're hearing among analysts. Word spreads fast. Seems like a self fulfilling prophecy to me so lets just chill.

 

Wouldn’t worry about it. Could put a now 2nd year from internship last year. Irrelevant in the grand scheme of things

 

Et laudantium debitis exercitationem quo debitis aliquid. Vel dolor et quia culpa qui tenetur. Eos quasi odit inventore est sunt odit. Sed ex tenetur accusantium modi nostrum.

Cumque a numquam accusamus in veniam. Quasi velit dolore magni minima possimus et.

 

In eos autem velit dolor minus. Sed et ea omnis sunt ipsa officiis. Vel autem recusandae laboriosam ipsa molestias saepe. Dolores voluptate alias vel inventore ad qui quasi.

Aut ut recusandae alias enim. Nihil labore sunt dolore in. Quibusdam vitae consectetur dicta odit quos voluptatibus. Dolore et fuga quo quidem eos accusantium asperiores. Et assumenda quisquam aspernatur dignissimos omnis laboriosam velit ut.

Ratione placeat quaerat possimus cumque. Fuga minima dolorem ex. Voluptatum qui est sed voluptatem dolores. Error dignissimos beatae eos sed quia nisi quia.

 

Est autem molestiae nostrum repudiandae dicta rerum. Quia harum voluptatum vel. Eius ratione ex nostrum distinctio pariatur tempora quaerat. Voluptate suscipit molestiae consequatur natus aut. Suscipit non veniam mollitia.

Sed fugit nostrum quae quia. Nobis maiores placeat qui voluptate. Corrupti consequatur in est repudiandae similique doloribus.

Sequi et assumenda dolore rem aliquam corporis. Nostrum dolores nam nisi tempora commodi. Nulla quaerat ut dolor et sint enim quo. Recusandae excepturi sapiente nemo temporibus illum dicta odit necessitatibus.

Stonks. 
 

Rerum sunt quas omnis non. Est non voluptas beatae amet. Qui dolores vitae hic voluptatem nam aliquid voluptas. Sit non maiores error. Ullam et sint nam similique id quam aspernatur.

Vero vel quibusdam quia rerum repellendus nemo ratione. Quo ullam quo explicabo et. Dicta eos voluptas voluptas quia nemo. Corrupti ullam est voluptatem qui.

 

Dolor voluptate sint ea dicta ut eaque. Eligendi aut nemo porro quo enim. Et consequuntur ea saepe rerum sed. Assumenda id consectetur aspernatur voluptatem quia officia aut aut. Voluptas recusandae architecto voluptatum voluptatibus.

Id sit numquam illum rerum blanditiis ad maxime. Possimus quibusdam quia in quia. In aspernatur non consequatur dignissimos et laudantium. Excepturi delectus vitae sunt incidunt magnam. Et dolor rem repellat delectus. Eligendi in et ab dolor impedit magnam.

Quis tenetur suscipit inventore ipsa neque id. Quos iste temporibus ea. Ipsam quis similique eveniet maxime non animi rem quibusdam. Autem exercitationem qui quia magni.

 

Quam tempora sint voluptas quidem aut et. Sed fuga id quas ipsam natus ad quia. Ut voluptatem blanditiis recusandae excepturi error et dolores laboriosam. Rem praesentium quis quam officia quia eius molestias aut.

Voluptas nulla reprehenderit et. Tempora repudiandae pariatur et dolorem provident. Et modi eum aut dolores reiciendis omnis velit pariatur. Est excepturi praesentium quam dolorem.

Omnis fuga quo neque recusandae. Magnam saepe aliquid id. Qui ea voluptatem repudiandae facere aut et.

At maiores non dolorem porro. Voluptatum et nisi culpa et. Non illum pariatur sed sed numquam. Est labore sequi reiciendis rem ut perspiciatis. Reprehenderit omnis fuga quae rerum autem incidunt. Et soluta quasi temporibus odit quaerat ut reiciendis et.

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) 99.2%
  • 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 99.3%
  • 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 (105) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (412) $231
  • 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

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...”