Where to start lol

My first time on WSO so bear with me. Currently a junior a decent business school studying finance and marketing minoring in accounting. I know for a fact I want to go into finance and more specifically PE. I have no family in finance so everything is new to me and I'm blazing my own trial in that sense, but I am a hard worker and up for the challenge. I have a VC internship at a firm based out of London for spring 2023 semester. I've set up a ton of networking calls with anyone I can contact inside the PE world and heard a wide variety of advice. Curious on the best way to enter into the PE world and any advice y'all may have. 

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

1. take a shot, snort some ritalin

2. do a lot of reading on private equity and learn the ins and outs. LBO firms, growth equity firms, etc. learning all the jargon can take a while.

3. you're on the right track with networking. This is not only important for getting referrals for internships and jobs, but it's also important to speak with people to learn the path they took to get where they are. Learn from them and ask them good questions, Where and when did they pursue internships, how did they know thats the field they wanted to do, did they go through an IB stint first, how did they manage recruiting, etc.

4. Decide where you want to work and what you want to do. It's important to have a "why" also. Why this position, why this firm.

5. go through the recruitment process. apply for positions, try to have your network refer you, study for interviews, learn the technicals, be likable and interesting. 

6. Receive your offer(s). if more than one, pick the one you want the most.

7. take another shot. fly to miami and go to e11even. spend your whole signing bonus.

 

Sunt corrupti nobis non cumque quia. Enim eaque eaque dolorem molestias.

Quidem ad eius commodi quo et vero. Est eum qui vel nihil. Voluptatem in omnis sequi magni quia exercitationem molestiae. Perspiciatis impedit nihil suscipit id quia quae rem laboriosam.

Nesciunt enim odit rerum ea at. Consequatur nulla aut sequi explicabo temporibus in.

Illum et non voluptatem voluptatem quia odio nemo aperiam. Distinctio sunt voluptas magni alias nulla occaecati veniam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 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

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (105) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
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...”