PE fit final rounds - Advice and Tips

Have a strong answer for “why x firm?” That is rooted in their strategy, industries, and track record. For instance “I’m excited about your firm for three major reasons - 1) your buy and build strategy means that I’ll be able to get a lot of deal reps and execution experience as well as get to play a key role in building a business, 2) I’m passionate about the areas of healthcare services that you invest in and have spent a lot of time looking into those industries during my banking program, and finally 3) your track record of exiting your portfolio companies to strategics clearly shows the quality of business you are able to build.” 
 

I would also focus on showing that you want to learn how to be an investor - you’re excited about the job of PE and have a good attitude. They want someone who will “lean in” and be enthusiastic about paying attention while working on deals and not just mindlessly processing even when they’re sleep deprived and feel like death. Ask questions about how they built their intuition as an investor, books they read that helped shaped their view, and how investment philosophies vary from partner to partner at the firm. Keep it big picture if they’re senior partners and don’t ask about any minutiae or ever imply you’re anything but eager to do this job and think it’s fascinating. 
 

Gallows humor is a thing in banking because everyone knows and accepts that it’s a dogshit job, in PE you are expected to fully drink the koolaid and never complain about it. In the words of one of my former managing partners “a career in Private Equity is the only thing worth doing with your life”. True to his word, both of his kids are in PE now too. Strive to embody that energy in your interviews lol