Incoming IB Analyst - When to think about PE?

I'm an incoming analyst starting full-time in the summer of 2021 at (GS/MS/JPM) in a group that consistently places in UMM and MF. Looking for information on the recruiting timeline - when will I start hearing from headhunters? What can I do between now and then to gain an understanding of what kind of fund (size, strategy, etc.) I want to target? How can I learn about a specific fund's comp and lifestyle?

Is it a good idea to reach out to former analysts from my group who went into PE to hear about how they went about the process? Any information is greatly appreciated. 

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In the same boat and to add to OP's question, do folks recommend using senior year to study / prepare for buyside recruiting and if so, how? Any resources or tips? My undergrad has a pretty robust pipeline into IB but no one really talks about what recruiting looks like after you've graduated and you're looking to exit IB. Part of me thinks it's too early to think about this but I'm also worried that once I start full-time I'll be so busy with work that I'll barely have time to think about my next move

 
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