What would you tell your younger self?

Hey everyone - currently considering trying to enter PE or trying to find a cool tech startup. While I think I would enjoy the PE work, I have concerns about the WL balance and looking back in however many years and regretting the grind even though the payout would be nice. I have always been interested in tech and had an entrepreneurial spirit which I think might haunt me if I chose PE.

For anyone who has worked in PE, what would you have told your younger self if you were choosing between PE and another job you felt you would enjoy, but not make as much nor be as secure?

Thanks!

For context: I work in MBB and have done most of my work on PE DDs.

6 Comments
 
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We spend too much of our lives working to not be doing something we enjoy. You sound like your heart wants to do tech, so I would highly encourage you to pursue that. PE can be great for people who genuinely enjoy investing, but it can also be a nightmare for people who aren’t interested in the field but have to spend 80 hours a week doing it.

These are some of the best years of your life. Don’t waste them in Excel models and PowerPoints if you don’t enjoy the work. The money is most definitely not worth it in the long run.

 

Sure, but what other job is going to comp similarly to the point of not mattering in the "long run"? Genuine question for myself, not trying to be rhetorical or argue.

 

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