Pathway to PE

Hello, Firstly thanks for taking time and going through my post. Like many I wanna build a career in PE and start ASAP but due to fewer opportunity out there for inexperienced guys and some PE firms that hire directly from school. I wanted to know the Cons of starting at a PE firm directly out of school and does the traditional IB>PE still makes sense for someone with no workex? I'm currently applying to a master's degree at Yale. So, I'm looking forward in hearing your views on it. It will be super helpful if you can highlight on Cons related to deal structure, due diligence and overall work. Thank you & Hope this post helps for guys out there who are in dilemma on the route to PE.

7 Comments
 

IMO, graduate school would be a complete waste of time and money at this stage if PE is your main objective. And just trying to be completely frank and help you, but if you're asking those type of questions you most likely aren't going to get one of the 20 PE analyst positions nationwide at UMM / MF private equity directly out of undergrad -- they're arguably the most competitive jobs in the country.

My $0.02 would be to use the interview guides, network, and use the wealth of information on this forum to land an IB analyst role at an EB or BB. Banking is also a very marketable still set in the event you decide that the high finance path isn't for you.

 

Sint qui enim quo non eos omnis tenetur. Voluptas nobis quas nesciunt et rerum iste vero saepe. Accusamus odio quae quia sed qui voluptas dolores. Quia qui quis nemo non aliquid sit tempore. Deleniti ut asperiores qui. Molestiae amet ratione soluta.

Non perspiciatis fuga voluptatem molestiae. Quia consequatur optio quae sed quia. Delectus ut minus minima quis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”