T15 MBA for Buyside Placement
Looking for any guidance on buyside placement for those in a T15 MBA program (read: not top 7). Have looked at various employment reports (Darden, Mccombs, etc.) and was surprised on the relative lack of buyside placements across these. Any guidance on how recruiting in this position tends to go would be helpful. I haven't taken the GMAT yet and want to be conservative on where I could get into -- 3.5 GPA from a good not great school.
For very brief background, am currently in the first year of a PE associate position after doing two years as a PE analyst with a different firm. Will have ~4 yrs. PE experience upon going to an MBA program. The position I'm currently in is a 2 year deal (potentially 3 to help with timing for a next role) but I'm looking to 1) move cities (to a major city in the Southeast) and 2) move to a senior associate / VP role at a buyout shop. Is this the best route, or would direct recruiting be best?
Private Equity recruiting is competitive, even at HSW. Not everyone with prior experience at HSW will get a spot, There's really no need for any decent PE shop to take anyone outside of HSW. I'd assume anyone from a a lower tier school that gets an offer has serious connections and/or their offer is outside the US.
I'd try to go direct if I were you, since you're going to be doing it anyways at some point to get to where you want to go.
Unless you're going to Roark or maybe 3-4 other large PE firms in the Southeast, none of your potential targets actually recruits from business schools, and they especially don't recruit at schools that aren't HBS/Wharton. So no matter what, your ability to find a role will be dependent on your ability to network and find a potential fit.
I don't mean this to be negative - there are plenty of LMM/MM firms that could use someone with several years of buyside experience who wants to be in the South, so I think going direct is possible for you. I would have a hard time convincing you that b school would give you a stronger shot in doing so.
Thanks for the feedback - sent a PM
Possimus architecto veritatis est dolorem aperiam. Natus sit quia amet ut dolorem omnis. Tenetur aperiam eaque repellat sit similique.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...