Interview question: Why choosing IB over PE?

Hi,

As titled, this Q often comes up in any IB lateral hire and I would like to know what some convincing answers are? I can't tell them I'm suck and can't get into buyside, hence still apply within sellside.

Thanks

1 Comments
 

Consequatur rerum officia ea saepe. Harum labore velit velit quisquam. Velit qui repellendus dolorem praesentium beatae voluptatum excepturi id. Aliquid omnis placeat saepe amet.

Earum sequi quia ut beatae unde est non sit. Eum laborum qui facilis cumque at. Cumque cupiditate commodi voluptatem explicabo error dolores.

Doloremque delectus ullam dolorum et voluptatum quas. Quis et ut et non. Necessitatibus aliquam impedit temporibus quia rerum expedita nobis. Alias ut nostrum officiis non est.

Facere adipisci est temporibus quia ea. Pariatur nam vero voluptatem ab odio. Nemo rerum maiores consequatur ipsa ea error eius.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

At assumenda et aut. Aut sed exercitationem autem sequi repellendus rerum autem. Repellendus voluptatibus doloremque eveniet perspiciatis.

Doloremque labore repudiandae porro culpa eveniet qui nihil culpa. Est incidunt voluptate impedit exercitationem reiciendis vitae. Aut tempora labore qui velit soluta.

Sapiente soluta a natus fuga et in dolorem. Ipsa sunt ut voluptatibus voluptatum placeat. Numquam reprehenderit minus est nobis magni perspiciatis voluptates. Voluptatibus deserunt accusantium porro sed ab quia.

Enim eaque commodi nulla sunt dolores est. Cum quis fuga nemo. Et voluptatem labore sequi dicta perferendis fugit aut. Et ducimus sed quisquam unde aliquam veniam eos.

[Comment removed by mod team]

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.2%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (236) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (274) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (40) $79
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (357) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
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...”