PE Recruiting Doing Banking Late?

I'm currently transitioning after working at a well known PE shop, doing a real asset sector, and left for personal reasons. Thinking of switching sectors into say HC/ Tech/ Industrials with PE in mind down the line. It's been very hard to get looks by PE firms right away, so I'm thinking of doing IB. I'm in the process at a few shops, but I have a big concern.

I ideally want to do banking for 2 years max. If on-cycle for 2025 is already under way, and I join banking in the next two months, is it possible to get into a good UMM/ MF fund? Like do some funds do recruiting one year in advance versus two?

Also, do you think I should do banking instead of trying to continue to push for PE in this market?

2 Comments
 

Switching sectors and considering investment banking (IB) as a stepping stone to private equity (PE) is a common path, but it's important to understand the recruiting timelines and processes for both industries.

In terms of recruiting, it's true that many PE firms have accelerated their timelines and often recruit one to two years in advance. However, not all firms follow this trend. Some still recruit closer to the start date, especially smaller or less traditional firms.

If you join banking in the next two months, it might be challenging to get into a large PE fund for the 2025 cycle if they've already started their recruiting process. However, it's not impossible. You would need to network aggressively and perform exceptionally in your banking role to catch up.

As for whether you should pursue banking or continue pushing for PE, it depends on your personal goals and circumstances. If you're set on PE and believe you have a reasonable shot at getting in directly, it could be worth continuing to push for it. However, if you're finding it difficult to break into PE, banking could provide valuable experience and open up more opportunities in the future.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer here. It's important to consider your own career goals, risk tolerance, and the specific opportunities available to you.

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

Vel est molestias ad. Consequuntur non non qui corrupti unde sunt. Omnis sunt ipsum ratione. Ducimus inventore necessitatibus id praesentium illum.

Corporis eum vitae quo vitae eligendi quae beatae. Placeat quia expedita excepturi quaerat pariatur placeat. Asperiores est natus a corporis illum unde. Eum nihil totam quod earum facere adipisci molestias. Odio cupiditate officiis quos quia ab voluptates non corrupti. Recusandae eum odio quia hic.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 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

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 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) $62
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”