Why Private Equity?

So you’ve made it through your first 6 months in banking alive. Your waist is bigger from all those tiramisu desserts, but luckily your bank account has gotten even fatter than your stomach.

And your bank account is set to get even fatter in the future – if you can successfully break into private equity.

While you know about the case studies and modeling tests you’ll get and the deals you’ll have to discuss, you haven’t put any thought into the “Why private equity?” question.

Which is a problem – because the last thing PE guys want is a banker or consultant who wants to do PE simply because he/she hates banking or consulting or because everyone else doing it.

Private Equity vs. Venture Capital

This question came up in the recent series on venture capital: just how are PE and VC different?

Technically, venture capital is just a subset of private equity.

They both invest in companies, they both recruit former bankers, and they both make money from investments rather than advisory fees.

But if you take a look beneath the surface, you’ll see that they’re significantly different.

Why You Can’t Get an Investment Banking or Private Equity Job via Recruiters – And What to Do About It

While most of the interviews on this site have been with job seekers or with current investment bankers, today we’re going to change things up and speak with an investment banking and private equity recruiter who works at a well-known recruiting firm.

You’re about to learn some little-known, highly valuable, and controversial information about the finance recruiting industry.

Keep reading to find out how to impress recruiters and interviewers and land PE and investment banking offers.