Need Advice: Big Career Shift

I have a BSc in pharma and have been working as a health economist for a few years now at a fortune 500 biotech company. I am trying to figure out what is the best way I can break into PE?

My end goal would be to end up at a megafund like KKR or Blackstone. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

504 WSO Academy Private Equity Session Reviews: 4.82/5

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

Class of '18 Nov 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Private Equity Career Roadmap (optional)

“I had my roadmap session with Arnau, and it was extremely valuable. As he is also a civil engineer from Spain, I felt comfortable from the start, and he quickly understood my background and career goals. He helped me identify the roles and types of companies I should target given my experience in infrastructure and project finance. He also gave me practical advice on how to position my profile and prioritize my applications. He is clearly very committed to his mentees, and his guidance was honest and tailored to my situation. I left the session with a much clearer plan, and I will definitely book another session with him in the future.”

Class of '23 Oct 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Private Equity Short Resume Review / Recap

“Very good planning prior to the meeting and effective notes that allowed the session to go quickly and effectively. We covered a lot of topics on the resume and I recieved a good amount of notes that I can correct my resume in order to make it more specific for the PE companies I will work with. Was very helpful in the way of bringing out niche skills I have in order to maximise my chances at differentiating myself from more typical IB candidates. Also provided good insights on the MBA process, what is valuable and the WHY side of P.E. which I will go into depth with in my WHY statements that I am going to do. ”

See All 11,163 WSO Academy Reviews

3 Comments

The Pharma Guy

CS

8y

My guess is that the next step would be to do 2-3 years in life science consulting (MBB healthcare divisions or life science specialist boutiques) or life science banking (firms like Leerink or Cain Brothers). When you say health economist you mean HEOR right?

Reply

Quote

Report

Other

Authored by: Certified Corporate Strategy Professional - DirectorCertified Corporate Strategy Pro

ether007

IB

8y

Thanks, yeah HEOR.

Are there any PE firms that specifically seek out healthcare backgrounds?

Is it best to try to break in directly or take a detour through an MBA program? Thanks

Reply

Quote

Report

Other

The Pharma Guy

CS

8y

Best Response

Hic assumenda perferendis nemo. Beatae sunt optio et odit qui iusto illum. Corporis iusto et debitis quas cumque ut. Odio est veniam omnis voluptates fugit aut mollitia est.

Praesentium voluptas ullam reprehenderit fuga sint sapiente vel. Qui dolorem ex et cum qui nihil facilis. Pariatur omnis delectus temporibus eius officiis enim.

Amet doloribus velit libero earum sequi quia voluptatem. Quaerat velit qui blanditiis sint ut. Est pariatur et fugit quo vel asperiores.

Ut rerum est asperiores ut voluptate. Quo aut rem sunt aut. Eum eos eum voluptate ullam impedit non provident occaecati.

Reply

Quote

Report

Other

Authored by: Certified Corporate Strategy Professional - DirectorCertified Corporate Strategy Pro

+64	Is Joining PE still worth it?	38	7m
+29	Negotiating title for VP role?	21	3d
+17	What’s one number you wish sellers disclosed before you spent time on a deal?	3	3d
+17	My girlfriend won’t let us rent out our home for my career	5	59m
+14	Business class flight tickets standard?	12	3m
+14	Being on really good MM deals. Question	9	19h
+13	On-Cycle Getting Pushed?	4	1h
+13	Are industry conferences worth it for proprietary deal sourcing?	4	3d
+11	Do sponsors prefer bullet financing or amortizing debt structures in LBOs?	9	5d
+10	Vector Capital 2026 Updated Views	2	4d

1	redever	99.2
2	kanon	99.0
3	Secyh62	99.0
4	BankonBanking	99.0
5	dosk17	98.9
6	GameTheory	98.9
7	DrApeman	98.9
8	Betsy Massar	98.9
9	CompBanker	98.9
10	numi	98.8

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Need Advice: Big Career Shift

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Need Advice: Big Career Shift

See All Comments - 100% Free

Trending Content - Private Equity Forum