Hey y'all,
So long story short. My brother's roomate's dad owns a private equity shop in Pakistan. He has offices in both Dubai and Pakistan, where his shop dabbles in a bit of everything from apparel to a major Pakistani cricket team. The firm has about $30M AUM I believe at the moment, but that is from an article I read a few years back, so that may have changed. Also, his shop has about 6 or so employees.
Anyway, I have been talking with the dad for some time now. It sounds like I have a really good chance of being offered an opportunity to be able to work for his shop in Pakistan. What is y'alls opinion on this opportunity? On one hand, this type of experience is not something I will probably ever have the opportunity to encounter again. Plus it will look freakin amazing on an MBA application. On the other hand, Pakistan is a 3rd world country, and may be a little dangerous in certain parts of the country.
Thanks fam.
Don't leave Karachi and maybe grab a few life insurance deals.
It'd be an interesting experience for sure, but Pakistan is one of the few places I wouldn't go, even for a PE opportunity.
That honestly sounds so dope, I personally would jump on that for the experience.
"Wolf of I. I. Chundrigar Road"
Have you been to Pakistan? I have, and it's an interesting place. Unless you speak the language, I wouldn't necessarily recommend moving. There are certainly nicer places there (Islamabad, for one), and your money might go much further than in the states, but I would venture to guess your quality of life will suffer. A few things to consider:
Job
The private equity gig could be pretty cool, but everyone and their brother in Pakistan with a little money "invests" in things. My friend, who I visited, owned a few different condos in developing areas, his family friends own restaurants and invest in xy and z. Granted, they aren't formalized as a PE shop, but from what I can tell it is pretty common over there.
Aside from that, I could see some interesting deals being worked on, though I wouldn't hold out for some really exciting opportunities. Probably will just be local businesses that seem completely backwards.
Experience
Yolo: you might never get a chance similar to this, and if you think you would enjoy it, go for it. That being said, I find it hard to believe that the work you'll be doing at the PE shop will be comparable to even a smaller shop in the US.
Depending on where you want to get your MBA, it might actually be a disservice to be at a small, unknown firm the adcoms have never heard of. Now, if you start a non-profit over there as well, then you might be better situated. Could spin it as wanting to help businesses in a developing economy compete at a global level, or something like that.
Life in Pakistan
Unless you speak the language, you will probably only become friends with your coworkers (provided they speak English), or maybe some small pockets of people who speak English. Forget dating, as it isn't really acceptable for unmarried women to socialize with men (unless they are really progressive or college educated).
Cost of living is pretty cheap, so that is a plus, but also likely won't be making nearly as much (though the Dubai office could indicate otherwise). That being said, if you want to have a standard of living comparable to the states, you might have to spend a pretty penny as those accommodations are less prevalent.
The weather might not seem like a big deal but it gets HOT in Pakistan. It's over 95 degrees five months out of the year, and even in the winter can still be 80 degrees. Islamabad and other cities can be just as hot. Add to it the less than ideal sewer systems, and you get the picture.
All in all, if it is something you can do for 18 months, I say go for it, just know it might be tougher to find a job back home. At the same time, you could do a little traveling in that part of the world, something you might never get to do. Also, lots of natural beauty (google Gilgit-Baltistan).
Man thanks for this write up - super helpful input. To address your questions and comments in order:
Job
From my research, these guys are legit. Both partners were Investment Bankers through most of their careers before starting their PE shop. I think I would get legitimate PE experience with this shop as far as modeling, working with businesses, etc. Also, the son wears Burberry shirts under his Gucci coats, so obviously his dad must make bank. (Dad drives a Maserati)
As of a year ago, they have invested in a Pakistani cricket team (who actually won the last championship), a transportation company, a starbucks-like coffee chain, a confectionary/food chain that is very famous in Pakistan, an apparel company, and real estate. All of this leads me to believe they work on legitimate, interesting deals.
Experience
This implies I have an easy opportunity of obtaining a job at any PE shop here in the states. Given my current situation, the only chance of PE i would have is to go back for my MBA.
I agree a no-name PE firm may not look great to adcoms, however, I believe the international experience portion will look phenomenal even without doing any volunteering.
Life in Pakistan
Basically my mindset right now is full yolo. I am 25, single, a white male, been working almost 2 years, and now I may be faced with this opportunity. I feel like if I do this a couple years, and return to the states for an MBA would be a solid plan. My biggest concern is safety, which I hear if you stay away from the Afghan border then I should be ok.
I really valued your input though. If you have anything more to share or respond to my comments I would really appreciate that a lot.
I also googled Gilgit-Baltistan, and it is stunning.
Based on the research you've done on the company, it sounds like they work on pretty legit stuff, so seems like the experience you'd get would be solid. I'd say go for it with the knowledge that your lifestyle in Pakistan would be substantially different than it is in the states, but again, you are only young once.
Other than the egregious mistreatment of women and gay people I’ve heard it’s a pretty nice place
I had a very similar experience last year but it was only an internship and in Dubai. I know it’s not the same since Dubai is one of the safest places in the world and it is an incredibly rich place. However, what I see in common with your potential gig at Pakistan is the experience of going to an exotic country with people and culture completely different. In your position, I would be brave and go, these oppotunities don’t come very often in life and you will truly grow both as a professional and, most importantly, as a person because you will encounter many difficulties at the beginning, but those experiences will make you unique and will be priceless
When you come back to the states you will have a unique story to tell and that will give you edge
I mean, whats the worst that could happen in the country that harbored Osama Bin Laden? You should totes go. You may see some honor killings too which would be great life experience to talk about in future interviews.
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