VPs+ is it worth the grind ? I’m at a crossroads right now where I’m not sure if I should keep grinding long evenings and weekends to get the VP promote or if I should just take a chill pill and if I don’t get promoted then I can move to a smaller fund or go to corporate after. Are the long hours and endless weekend work now worth it for later? Do the hours get better or it’s just more stress to deploy and perform?
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Based on the most helpful WSO content, the decision to grind for a VP promotion depends on your long-term goals and tolerance for the lifestyle. Here's what you need to know:
Lifestyle as a VP:
Stress and Responsibility:
Is it worth it?:
Alternatives:
Ultimately, the decision comes down to your personal priorities. If you’re willing to sacrifice now for the potential rewards later, the VP grind might be worth it. But if you’re already feeling drained and questioning the lifestyle, it’s worth exploring other paths that align better with your long-term happiness and goals.
Sources: Lifestyle post promotion to VP?, Lifestyle post promotion to VP?, Question for senior bankers - does it get more or less stressful as you progress?, Handling Stress / Burnout in Private Equity, How hard is making a VP?
It's a very personal question but I've put a lot of thought into this so will try to give a balanced view (ymmv).
To boil it down, it's a grind but I think you should stay the course if (i) you're a deal junkie.. this is the most important part imo, (ii) you like being in control / puppet master - I think this personality type does well in PE because as you get more senior you kind of just tell people what to do constantly (jr deal team, CEO and CFOs, operating partners etc), and (iii) you like a linear path and are generally pretty risk averse.
I think the slow grind up at an established fund is probably the best risk-adjusted 'corporate' job out there, but if you don't have most of the above traits you'll be miserable and imo it's not worth it esp with returns continuing to moderate going forward.
Alternatively, if you have an entrepreneurial streak you can also suck it up and try to get promoted / work on the most deals you can, then go do this on your own once you feel comfortable in your skillset / have a nest egg.
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