Boutique PE Fund of Funds vs. Institutional Investment Consulting*

Hi WSO,

You guys have been great in the past with questions, so I'm hoping for a little advice. I've been working at a top 3 investment consulting firm (mid/front office role), and passed the first 2 levels of my CFA. I've been offered a position to move over to the direct consulting side (and possibly AM side for outsourcing institutions down the road). I'm also interviewing with a $10B PE FoF/hybrid (they do FoF, secondaries, and co-direct investments) investing in the buyout/VC and small allocation to distressed - I'd be a general analyst working across all investments.

I'm planning on going back to B-school regardless in 2-4yrs (undergrad was very non-target). Which do you think would be the better route long-term to get into a direct fund role? I had been hoping to move to either a HF/PE fund down the road, or even a mutual fund if possible, but haven't had much luck (even getting in the door for ER interviews).

3 Comments
 

This is an easy one (assuming equally stable firms, etc.), take the PE FOF/hybrid role - you should not take a consulting position if you want to do investments. It will be difficult to ever get to a direct role regardless, but at least if you go work at the hybrid you could get exposure to secondaries and co-investments, build some relevant skills and relationships and at least be able to stay on the investment side. Some of the secondaries/co-invest shops also pay well in relation to the work/life balance, at least once you get past the Analyst level.

 

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