Hotel PE to General PE

Based on the most helpful WSO content, your background is quite solid and demonstrates a clear trajectory toward Private Equity. Here's how PE recruiters might view your profile and some advice for your situation:

1. Strengths of Your Background:

   • Relevant Experience: Your internships in infrastructure PE, boutique M&A, and now hotel M&A/investment provide a strong foundation in financial modeling, deal analysis, and investment strategy. These are highly transferable skills for general PE roles.
   • Specialization in Hotel PE: While niche, your focus on hotel investments could be seen as a unique value-add, especially for firms with real estate or hospitality-focused portfolios.
   • Top Academic Credentials: Completing a master's in finance at a prestigious school like LBS, ESCP, or HEC Paris will significantly boost your profile and open doors to broader PE opportunities.

2. Concerns Recruiters Might Have:

   • Specialization Risk: Staying in Hotel PE for 22 months might pigeonhole you as a specialist in hospitality investments. While this is valuable for certain firms, it could limit your appeal to generalist PE funds unless you actively demonstrate versatility.
   • Geographic Focus: If you're targeting Switzerland, France, the UK, or the USA, recruiters will want to see evidence of adaptability and a network in those regions.

3. Recommendations:

   • Diversify Your Skillset: While staying in Hotel PE, seek opportunities to work on deals or projects that involve broader asset classes or investment strategies. Highlight these experiences on your resume.
   • Leverage Your Master's Program: Use your time at a top MiF program to network aggressively, secure internships in generalist PE funds, and demonstrate your ability to transition beyond hospitality investments.
   • Position Your Background Strategically: When speaking with recruiters, frame your Hotel PE experience as a strong foundation in real estate and operational investments, emphasizing transferable skills like financial modeling, due diligence, and strategic analysis.

4. How Recruiters Will View You Post-MiF:

   • Assuming you perform well in your master's program and secure a generalist PE internship during your studies, recruiters will likely view your background as well-rounded. Your unique specialization in hospitality, combined with broader exposure, could make you a compelling candidate for firms with diverse portfolios.

In summary, your plan to stay in Hotel PE for the next 22 months is reasonable, but ensure you actively seek ways to diversify your experience and network. This will position you strongly for general PE roles post-MiF.

Sources: Private Equity Recruiting Walkthrough – My Experience, My Private Equity Recruiting Process, Private Equity Recruiting Process (From Banking), Q&A 2.0: 3rd Year BA/A/AC At MBB Going To UMM/MF This Summer, Q&A: MBB to MM PE