Latam (Santiago-based) boutique IB analyst hoping to work in NYC PE - What are my options?

Hi guys, I was hoping to get some advice. This is my first post, but I've been reading this website a lot. I'm a New York born and raised guy that went to a liberal arts college and played top 20 division I lacrosse (earning a 3.4 GPA). My international family background made me become fascinated by Latam. After graduation, I moved to Chile (without fully speaking Spanish and knowing absolutely no one) to start a position as intern at a boutique M&A focused investment bank based here in Chile. My company's partners took a risk in giving me an opportunity to intern, but after 2 months they saw my learning curve progression and work ethic and they offered me a full time position. (I've also interned at smaller hedge funds and a short 2 weeks at a MM IB (REIT group) in NYC)

I've been working here about a year and a half now and have been thinking about my next step. I most definitely want to move back to the states, but I am in no rush to do so. My end goal is to work in private equity at a top shop in NYC (but I know competition is tough and I might have to do a number of other jobs to earn my way there). I was hoping to get your advice on what steps to take to best position myself moving forward. I have also been studying for the GMAT and plan to take that soon. My recent practice scores (730, 750, 760) seem to be good enough to qualify me for a top school (HBS, Stanford, Wharton - all have a 730 median).

With my end goal in mind, what would you suggest I should be most focused on:
1)staying where I currently am and applying to business school with 3 or 4 years experience (ie this apply September of this year or next year)
2) Looking to lateral to a BB bank either in NYC or here in Santiago (seems unlikely/tough to do at most BB banks)
3) Looking for small private equity companies that have invested in latam (I have yet to come across companies that exclusively invest in Latam, but would love to hear some names) and applying/cold calling there
4) I have a connection at McKinsey consulting that says my background/resume would 100% get me an interview- applying there and ideally working 1/2 yrs then applying to business school

Any advice is VERY WELCOME

 

Maiores voluptas nemo sunt facilis voluptas. Quisquam vel et esse nihil et omnis officiis et. Voluptatem dolorum porro velit. Cupiditate qui rem eum harum non et saepe. Repudiandae id amet minus exercitationem et.

Quidem ea nulla est nisi rerum numquam. Quam ea voluptatem eos eligendi voluptas totam voluptatem. Vel dignissimos libero similique. Neque nulla rerum facere itaque. Eligendi earum voluptatibus atque fugiat rerum qui provident. Facere quos animi modi tempore eaque exercitationem.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.4%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (91) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (206) $266
  • 1st Year Associate (387) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (314) $59
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
Kenny_Powers_CFA's picture
Kenny_Powers_CFA
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...”