Best summer option for breaking into Private Equity post-MBA

Hi All -

Hoping for some advice on how to spend my summer to best position myself to break into PE. My basic profile is Ivy League undergrad, post-ugrad experience in management consulting, and currently MBA student at a top business school (H/S/W).

Goal is to break into PE after my MBA (immediately or a few years down the line, if necessary). Looking for your advice on what would be the best way to spend my summer (and beyond, as applicable) to make this happen:

  1. Accept summer offer at a top BB investment bank (GS/MS/JPM)
  2. Accept summer offer at private equity arm of IM firm that does fund-of-funds investing and some co-investments (not traditional direct investing model). Role may or may not include direct deal exposure (TBD)
  3. Decline both offers and hope that I can land a summer offer at a PE firm (risky move given how difficult it is to land a PE job without prior PE/IB experience)

Could really benefit from the group's advice. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Option 1 seems strongest.

One of the caveats of coming from a MC background as opposed to IB is that you might not be as strong on the technical / modelling side of things; you'd remove any doubt by interning at a BB.

As for fund-of-funds, the experience will be quite specialized and different from direct PE investing (in my opinion). You might therefore not be readily able to transfer most of the skills you've learned.

 
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