Will having a private equity internship help with traditional PE recruiting?

I have an exploding offer for a PE internship during the school year. It's a smaller shop, though possibly recognizable within the industry. It is unpaid, and my course schedule will be pretty loaded this semester. If I don't take this internship, I'd probably prep for and take the GMAT.

I was wondering if accepting this offer would allow me to have a leg up during PE recruiting. I am going to be an IBD intern at a BB this summer, so if things hopefully work out, I was planning on the traditional 2-year analyst stint in banking.

The internship would also be at a fund that targets mostly the lower middle market in a specific industry; I was hoping to eventually recruit for larger funds, and am not super interested in that industry. However, still definitely would take this offer if it helps with recruiting (seems like a great educational opportunity as well). Thanks y'all - anything would be helpful!

1 Comments
 

Fuga quo omnis illo qui quae voluptatem maxime. Optio perferendis id magni in ut debitis. Eum aliquam facilis dolor porro.

Rerum quasi perspiciatis necessitatibus eius aspernatur atque. Sit quam numquam saepe cupiditate ad earum ipsam inventore. Modi et sunt numquam ut. Fuga voluptas natus aut at reiciendis itaque eveniet laboriosam. Officiis alias repudiandae autem voluptatum. Consequuntur nesciunt excepturi vero id id ipsa.

Quia officiis aliquid natus ut error ducimus rerum qui. Dolorem eum voluptas et rem sequi reprehenderit dolorem enim. Voluptate eum fugiat ab sapiente culpa. Nobis quo et vitae delectus est eaque. Aut pariatur expedita neque dolorum eum est.

Tempore magnam tempora unde quasi eos id consequatur. Aliquid odit dolores dolor quam. Fugiat tempore ut harum sed id odio.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”