Getting a Job in Private Equity with Consulting Background

This person leveraged its consulting and industry experience to get a job in technology focused private equity fund. He shared his experience in an interview


Q: What's your education background?
A: I graduated with a degree in engineering and earned my master degree in engineering in 2002 after working for 2 years.

Q: What kind of work experience do you have before you got into private equity?
A: I had one and a half years' experience in a software company. After I got my master degree in engineering, I joined a top tier consulting firm where I led a technology and telecome project team

Q: What's your job hunting strategy?
A: I did not target big, late-stage buyout funds. Rather I focused more on technology where I have a competitive advantage with my technology and strategy background. I knew that I lacked strong financial background. So I did not spend too much time looking into generalist firms where I had no advantage.

Q: What did you bring to the table?
A: My backgorund in technology and strategy would be an excellent addition to the private equity firm. Consulting prepared me very well for private equity. Bankers come into play with more muscles in finance but we know the competitive dynamics of particular industries. Furthermore, the graduate work that I had done in engineering also helped me stand out among all the candidates.

Q: What's your suggestion for other people who want to get a job in private equity?
A: I would advise those looking for a job in private equity to know their strengths and weakness and figure out where you have competitive advantage over other candidates. Also go into interviews with confidence and determination and show to your employer why do you want to be in private equity and why do you want to work for that employer.

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Getting a Job in Private Equity

Private equity investment refers to investments that are made to private companies or conducting buyouts of public companies that result in a delisting of public equity.

There are different roles at private equity funds.

• Analyst. They are the junior professionals and mainly provide deal support such as deal sourcing, market research, company analysis, financial modeling, valuation, and due diligence.
  
• Associate / Senior Associate: Associates have more interaction with senior professionals (principal and partner) and sometimes supervise analysts
  
• Vice President: They lead execution tasks and some initial deal negotiation
  
• Principal: They run the daily deal process and oversee investment professionals
  
• Partner: They raise funds, build teams, and set fund strategies
  

But how to get a job in private equity? It has been shown that the following people have a higher chance of getting a job in private equity.

• Investment banking analysts with around 2 years' extensive financial modeling experience
  
• Consultants with strong analytical skills and excellent market research, strategic thinking, and decision making capabilities
  
• Those people who have extensive operational experience in some particular industries such as health care, alternative energy, etc.
  

You may learn from others who have successfully got into the private equity industry. Here are some examples.

• A engineering graduate with with consulting experience in technology got a job with a technology-focused private equity fund
  

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