2nd thoughts about accepted PE offer. Feeling very under-qualified.
A few weeks ago I received and accepted an offer for a FT Analyst role at a boutique PE fund that I am very keen on joining, which is heavily focused on Consumer. I am currently a top-rated analyst in CB at a BB (Shipping and Aviation team), during which time I have been staffed on practically every major episodic financing transaction, which has strengthened my modeling skills but not to the level expected of an IB Analyst at a similar level.
Following numerous interview rounds with both the recruiter and the company, including two case studies, I managed to land the job, which I signed following a constant push from both the recruiter and multiple people at the fund - however, now I am having strong 2nd thoughts and I am worried that I am under-qualified for the role and that I will be underperforming from day 1. What makes me even more worried is that the existing Analysts and Associates at the fund all have multiple years of experience in either BB IB or from MBBs.
Since signing the offer, I have been extremely set back and overly worried. On one hand, I am very bored in my current role (which I am good at), on the other. I fear failure in the new role given my lack of required experience.
The recommendations I have received so far are mixed; my biggest worry is leaving something that I am good at, for something uncertain, and then crashing my career before it even started. I have 2 months to prepare for the new role.
Any opinions about how to proceed would be deeply appreciated!!
First of all congrats. Second of all, relax. You'll be fine. If the PE firm thought you weren't qualified, they wouldn't have hired you.
Don't even consider staying at your current role - you're bored. Challenge yourself at the new firm and you'll be up to speed in no time.
Your learning curve is expected to be steep at the analyst level. I wouldn't worry about feeling underqualified, this is just a case of impostor syndrome.
Reach out to whoever you spoke to at the firm for materials and tips on how you can use the 2 months to prepare and hit the ground running.
What you're feeling is impostor syndrome. I felt the same every single day I was at my UMM PE shop. It was painful and required a lot of reflection / mental energy to buck the trend of being overly hard on myself (to the point of analytical paralysis and much darker thoughts).
Get used to this feeling and try to channel it to constant improvement - nothing will derail your career faster than doubting yourself. It's easier said than done, but worrying is not productive and will not support growth.
One of the senior partners at my firm said it best: This job is all about being uncomfortable - everyday you will feel like you don't belong, but the people who can cope with that feeling are the ones who make it to the top.
This. I don't think there's a single normal person who won't feel like this sometime in their career. For anyone who can go through a 40 year career and not feel this, it means they never challenged themselves or they are so overconfident that it is probably damaging to their career (we all have met those self-promoters who may be charismatic but have no real skills or competency) - because they are not also focused on the details.
I wouldn't worry about qualifications because frankly the BB / MBB guys would have faced a steep learning curve too when joining the buyside, and the gap in knowledge at the point of joining PE is negligible.
On the contrary, I'd be proud if I was you - Congrats on breaking in from a less conventional background. What was it that helped you get hired? Did you have exceptional CB branding or worked on deals with IB teams? Pass along some of this useful knowledge so that others in CB can follow in your footsteps if they wish
This is definitely imposter syndrome. Think of it this way. Absolute worst case, your fears are justified and you'll start behind your peers. You still made it to the field, so its now your time to prove your value. You have to have faith and conviction that you will rise to the occasion. Good luck and congratulations. You've got a lot of opportunity in front of you.
totally normal. as someone said, if you didn't feel this way at some point, you are either not challenging yourself enough or you are just an overconfident dick, in which no one will like you.
Consequatur voluptas quo fuga magnam placeat officia harum aut. Quidem culpa libero velit pariatur provident. Quae aut qui dicta velit aut voluptas quia.
Eos ea ab tempore consequatur vel. Dolorum nulla tenetur distinctio.
Aut vitae non consequatur error dolores delectus. Mollitia ut aspernatur inventore libero facere officia. Odit quae asperiores ut itaque quam dolorem quibusdam. In nulla necessitatibus nobis fugit sed.
Assumenda ipsum pariatur eos eaque. Earum animi consequatur doloremque consequuntur voluptatem ipsam veritatis nihil.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Et possimus ut ea. Nulla temporibus quibusdam commodi veniam. Cumque culpa sunt delectus placeat culpa enim.
Temporibus sequi consectetur aut dolorem ut molestias. Sunt consequatur dolorem in dolores.
Accusantium voluptas magni qui voluptatem ut inventore. Eum ab odit enim sapiente est harum quia. Non voluptates qui saepe molestiae. Aut qui et molestias facere possimus perferendis rem consequatur.