How do you justify your job to family & friends

Hey, 


I am starting a PE Analyst program out of college in the summer and am thinking about the reactions of family and friends when talking about it. I am European and where I am from PE/Finance in general has a pretty negative public view.


Family & friends share these views and are generally more working class, meaning they have no personal connections with PE/IB guys. So, there is limited knowledge about what PE is, but common themes seem to be "break up companies, fire people, very bad in general". Now, I will be okay facing that criticism and don't imagine minding it too much, but curious if others have been in a similar position and how they have justified the moral/ethical aspects of their job.


Thanks!

 

Depends on the firm strategy. Some firms really do execute the way you’re describing with massive layoffs and restructuring. In that instance the argument is harder to non-business folks. For more growth-oriented strategies the argument can be more compelling - you don’t have big layoffs, you’re actually doing the opposite and supporting a business strategically and financially and creating more jobs overall.

all that said - at some point soon you need to not worry about external opinions. Decide what you personally do and don’t feel morally comfortable with, and don’t do anything you don’t feel good about doing personally. But don’t let others opinions drive that for you.

 

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