Undergrad Experiences Valid in Buy-Side Interviews?

Given how accelerated buy-side recruiting is for 1st year banking analysts, what experiences are acceptable for candidates to draw from in interviews? I would imagine it is somewhat expected that candidates will discuss experiences from their SA stint (if applicable), but are other undergraduate experiences such as extracurriculars or other internships appropriate for PE interviews?

For some added context, would a temporary job/internship between a December graduation and a July FT IB start be helpful for buy-side interviews?

2 Comments
 

Suscipit ut officiis doloribus iure minima natus voluptas. Accusantium odit ea perferendis nesciunt. Vel corporis quia doloremque ut iure nihil pariatur quaerat.

Quia est est sed possimus consectetur doloremque. Ipsam voluptatem tenetur facilis est. Et consequatur ipsum et odio incidunt qui molestiae. Quae tenetur tenetur et velit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Bain Capital 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.2%
  • 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 (97) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (234) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (95) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (271) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (37) $80
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (351) $61
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

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...”