PE Coffee Chats - Are they helpful?
Should I treat coffee chats as potential interviews when networking with PE firms since most of recruiting is completed by headhunters?
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always better to be overprepared. IMO, coffee chats are almost like an interview for the interview
This is the way I view coffee chats. Your real interview will be much more vigorous.
I think coffee chats for large MM funds and MFs are not that useful. For LMM funds who may not have structured recruiting channels / use a consortium of HHs (essentially as glorified resume gatherers and shuttlers; services like GoBuySide), coffee chats should be taken as seriously as a potential interview, yes.
Obviously except ones with structured recruiting process. For many pe firms coffee chat is important than the interview imo. If you got into boss’s mind at the coffee shop, interview is just formality really.
Would it work at large funds like (BX, Carlyle, KKR)? Or does it not matter much since they have formal recruiting processes?
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