PE Culture & Hours London

Hi WSO,

I'm an analyst at a BB in London. I am considering a career on the buy-side because I want to gain operational experience while taking proprietary views on investments vs packaging & selling companies like in IB. However, my time in IB has been quite rough and I'm not sure I can stomach more all nighters, or even 4-6am nights for much longer. I'm currently in the process of weighing my PE aspirations vs my desire for a healthier lifestyle and am curious to learn more about the PE scene in LDN, particularly the hours. Is there variation across US MF, EU MF, UMM, LMM etc. or does it depend on firm specific dynamics?

Thanks for any input. 


 
Most Helpful

Really varies by firm. MFs tend to be IB 2.0 with similar hours. Boutiques can be hit and miss with some having 60h weeks on average (goes up to 80-90 during live deals but will last 2-3 weeks at most) and others can be absolute sweatshops. Best thing is to do your due diligence and speak to as many people as possible on LinkedIn.

 

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