Hi everyone,
What is the protocol for networking while employed / about to be employed at a PE fund? I am going to a ~large cap PE fund this summer, but I know I don't want to stay there long term because I will need to be closer to family eventually.
I want to start networking with people at other PE funds where I could see myself long term - I would like to stay abreast of any Associate laterals or Senior Associate openings, and would like to have a network to give me an edge in post-MBA VP recruiting.
However, I worry about the optics of calling to have a networking call, but mentioning I am about to / I currently work at another fund. I cannot call under the pretense of doing the song and dance of "what advice do you have for PE recruiting" / "I recommend X, Y, Z oh and also you're welcome to interview if you'd like". How do I make clear the purpose of the call, while still being sensitive to the fact that this is a small world and I don't want to upset my current fund?
Any suggestions? Thanks very much.
I am in a similar situation. When I reach out to other funds I suggest a call to compare strategies, notes on what you're seeing in the market, maybe share deal flow, etc. I don't explicitly mention recruiting but you can subtly keep the door open by mentioning your ties to a certain area and your long-term interest in getting closer to home.
If through these interactions you prove that you're smart / capable, they'll likely come back around when the time is right. And it's way less awkward to ask about openings if you've known somebody for a year+
Full disclosure, I'm in the growth world which is a lot less competitive than buyouts (since you can have multiple funds as minority investors in a given co), so this approach may not scale
I think that is a good point except need to resolve the issue you alluded to: the peers I reach out to are likely pre-MBA and so they are probably going to get pushed out of their firm pre-MBA as well. I think I need to take your strategy, but figure out how to spin it for discussing with VPs, but am not sure what the "rules of engagement" around doing that are. Any thoughts?
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