+101 Leaving Megafund for Lower Middle Market - Am I Crazy? 28 7y
+101 Q&A: 1st year FoF Infrastructure at Buyside 32 4y
+101 Basic questions about PE recruiting 61 6y
+101 Consulting to Private Equity 78 4y
+100 SMB Acquisition 33 9mo
+100 Q&A Distressed Private Debt & Private Equity 74 1mo
+100 What are your perks? 175 4y
+100 Q&A: European PE Professional 30 5y
+100 Lying about SAT score for PE Recruiting 58 3y
+100 Ares Management 2021 316 3y
+100 Thank you WSO Community! Q&A/My Story: Target --> State School --> Non-MBA Masters --> MM IB --> Lower MM PE 13 9y
+99 What's actually the crossover point for picking a $1BN fund over a MF as a career-track midlevel? 40 1y
+99 Need Surgery / How to work? 30 1y
+99 Worst Bank You've Ever Worked with? Perspectives from the Buy-Side 45 1y
+99 Brutal Firing Stories 20 2y
+99 How Technical is MF PE? 55 3y
+99 Best PE Analyst Programs vs Opportunity Cost (top IB) 34 2y
+99 Silver Lake skipping on cycle 30 3y
+99 Dinged at HSW...Now what? 48 4y
+99 Direct PE to Pension/Endowment 25 4y
+99 PE Investment Activity Amidst Spiraling Markets 30 6y
+99 Independent/fundless sponsor and Family Office surge 16 7y
+99 Q&A: Mega Fund Associate - Asia Pacific Edition 45 8y
+99 Ask me anything - MM PE Associate, 1 year in 58 9y
+99 PE LBO Modeling Test 68 9y
+98 Software PE guys - how are you holding up 41 2w
+98 Interesting IB Exit Scenario: Very Overpaid corporate job, or UMM Brand Name PE? 29 5mo
+98 PE Associates - How Much Cash Do You Save? 115 3mo
+98 Please help! - burnt out and depressed despite having my dream job and not sure how to fix it 24 4y
+98 Megafunds starting associates 6 months earlier 26 4y
+98 The rise of business development roles in the industry 64 7y
+97 TPG Updated Views (2025) 25 1y
+97 Private Equity vs. Special Situations: Career Choices in 2024 49 1y
+97 MF PE - Depressed and Burnt Out 39 1y
+97 Delete 24 2y
+97 What is tactical opportunities / opportunistic investment 81 3y
+97 Going back home for Thanksgiving during on cycle PE recruiting - Bad Idea? 36 4y
+97 Q&A: Senior Associate at MM PE Fund 47 7y
+97 Boston Private Equity Firms 87 6y
+96 PE VP Comp 90 1y
+96 Finance can ruin your career (hot take) 33 6y
+96 Are top MFins target programs for Private Equity firms? 23 8y
+96 Private Equity MegaFund Recruiting Process - Summer 2013 92 12y
+95 Pivoting from PE 41 2mo
+95 Words of Wisdom 16 1y
+95 I Was Not Ready For MF PE 43 10mo
+95 2023 1st Year Associate Comp Discussion 259 3y
+95 Is PE making us... stupider?! 39 5y
+95 I Built a Screenshot to Excel Converter... 37 2y
+95 Why is fund of funds a thing 29 5y
+95 2020 On-Cycle Recruiting Anecdote 29 5y
+95 Where is the industry going for young professionals? 24 10y
+95 Observations of a PE Analyst 21 6y
+94 What are you actually using AI for in PE? 32 1mo
+94 Is PE in SF that bad ?? 47 9mo
+94 PSA: Astorg (London office) - Do NOT join! 49 6mo
+94 Why not stay in advisory and make 7 figures in early 30s? 66 1y
+94 Burnout - What Comes Next? 39 2y
+94 Ridiculous Job Postings 32 4y
+94 Most active credit shops in the market? 55 3y
+94 Dealing with a Dumb Senior Private Equity Co-worker who the Boss likes? 25 7y
+94 GS Analysts Fired For PE Recruiting 102 4y
+93 Working for Free in PE 17 1w
+93 This is borderline psychotic and not normal at all in PE right? 39 9mo
+93 PE Associate Burnout 32 4w
+93 High finance comp ceiling India 55 8mo
+93 Didn’t See the Light at the End of the Tunnel. Do you? 33 2y
+93 Tips for excelling as a first year associate in PE 11 4y
+93 On Cycle 2022 Debrief - My Experience 45 4y
+93 Why even use EBITDA? 30 6y
+93 What returns have you achieved from co-investing in your fund? 67 5y
+93 Thoughts on Thoma Bravo, TPG Tech, KKR TMT, Silver Lake, other tech PE funds 33 5y
+93 FT Analyst? 54 3y
+92 HBS versus Wharton 40 1y
+92 Is MF the only way? 23 1y
+92 Jamie Dimon Calls On-cycle "unethical" 29 1y
+92 Partners Group 2025 Analyst Program - Zug 186 9mo
+92 PE Firms Need to Stop Calling to Reject 17 1y
+92 LMM Folks: Have you seen an attractive business model where you said "that's so easy that I could start that business today"? 42 2y
+92 Current PE Recruiting Environment London 68 2y
+92 How to break into Real Estate Private Equity (w/ 0 RE Knowledge) 7 2y
+92 Q&A: MD/PhD --> MBB --> MegaFund 48 4y
+92 Arctos Sports Partners / Sports Private Equity 21 4mo
+92 CorpDev to PE prospects - creating a long-term map / success stories 30 4y
+92 Q&A: Non Targ -> BB Coverage Group -> Incoming MM PE 35 8y
+91 2026 UMM Landscape 52 4mo
+91 on cycle 2027 kicking off 206 1mo
+91 Midlife Crisis at 25 in PE, freaking out and miserable 27 1y
+91 Went from MBB to PE and hate it 42 1y
+91 Megafund PE Fund Sizes Standardized 12 1y
+91 Single asset continuation fund - How thorough are you in underwriting? 38 1y
+91 SAN FRANCISCO MEETUP 75 6mo
+91 Non-Target in PE 26 2y
+91 Tax Equity in Renewables 28 1y
+91 Where are you guys living in NY? 60 2y
+91 MF Credit vs. MS/GS SA 2023 Offer 60 2y
+91 Q&A: 3rd Year Associate - Private Equity 75 5y
+91 PE Career Earnings over $50 million by 50? 31 5y
+91 Would you think I'm an asshole? 48 4y
+91 How real is the pigeonhole? 46 7y

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
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...”

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From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

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