Searchlight Capital WLB
Can anyone provide info on Searchlight Capital PE WLB/comp/general associate experience? How does it compare to other smaller MF/UMM firms (e.g. AEA, BC Partners, sycamore, etc.) ? seems like older posts say it’s trash but wanted to get a fresh perspective…
From an outside perspective, but based off the language and talking points in the info session, it seems very much like a sink-or-swim type environment. No double staffing, associates responsible for both investment and operation workstreams, total ownership over modelling, thesis, legal, operation, etc. workstreams says a lot about the work expectations. No doubt it's great learning experience for someone that wants to dedicate 100% effort into being the best investor, but I think it'll be crazy to expect any WLB in that place
We have to give them some credit though. That info session actually had interesting stories
It’s run by the most hardo ex CVC, KKR guys. I wouldn’t bet on any WLB
I heard its pretty bad, prob about the same as IB
Anyone have any anecdotes about WLB here?
couldnt make the info sesh - did they give any idea as to timing of recruiting ?
1H 2025
Is this 2025 or 2026?
2026 recruiting
bump
Any updated views ?
WLB balance does not improve in 8 months
On par with the worst of the MFs. It's fucking brutal but if you can make it, boy do they pay well and give you a lot of ownership.
If your only goal is to earn money and do nothing else, this might seem like the perfect place. But don’t expect to have time to enjoy it — even weekends won’t feel like your own. The pay is definitely great, but they’ll drain every ounce of energy out of you in return. Especially if you are part of the accounting team.
Any sense of what pay looks like
In London on par with other MMs
accounting team? lol
What about their special sits arm in London? Any general insights in London office culture/WLB also helpful
Former associate in the group. Definitely a very sink or swim type of place and you do learn a lot. Being able to work from Florida is nice. That being said, the firm has definitely had trouble scaling to date. Fund performance has been a bit mediocre with the principals making associates spin up useless work. Culture is definitely grindy with some of the principals being problematic.
If you have other UMM offers, would probably recommend taking those. That being said, firm is still a good place to learn but has lost a lot of steam.
What was comp?
Heard from a friend that 1st year is about $320-$330K all in and 2nd year on is $400K+
this was the only place I interviewed at where I called the recruiter immediately afterwards and asked them to withdraw my candidacy
Why do people keep on repeating performance is bad, I have no dog in this race but as per pension docs (namely WSIB) performance looks absolutely stellar, doubly so when compared to the other 2019-2022 shitty quartiles
Fundraising failure is indictative of either bad performance or LP's beleiving they purely got lucky. End of the day, the goal of PE is to get returns and raise capital, Searchlight is failing at the latter right now.
What’s the latest on their fundraise?
Are interviews out for 2027?
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