How Do You Get a Private Equity Job? (Series)

The Recruiting Process for Private Equity Jobs 

Let’s talk a bit about the recruiting process for private equity jobs end-to-end.

Big mega-cap PE funds like Blackstone, Carlyle, and TPG have hiring needs that are pretty stable and predictable, and the recruiting pools for talent are well-known. Consequently, they have a fairly standardized process not unlike the recruiting process you would find in bulge-bracket investment banks or brand-name consulting firms — it’s just at an order of magnitude smaller scale.

By contrast, middle-market and smaller PE shops and specialty firms may have more extended processes or take longer to make decisions.

Part of that is because they are waiting to see who is left over after the mega-cap funds have had first pick of the litter (as they tend to enjoy given their prestige), and part of the reason is also because their hiring needs are less predictable and uniform year-to-year. One year they might hire 4 associates, another year 1, and another year none at all.

I’m going to spend the next few posts talking about the who / when / where / how of landing a private equity job.

You can read all the posts in the series here:

Found this series useful?

Be sure to check out our PDF guide “How to Nail Your Private Equity Interview (whether you have finance training or not)” for in-depth tips and strategies on how to successfully interview for jobs at top private equity firms!

Also be sure to check out our step-by-step Private Equity LBO Modeling Training Videos for walk-through tutorials on how to build an LBO model, navigate Excel with ruthless efficiency, and rapidly create an LBO PowerPoint presentation to present in your private equity interview.

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