What A Vice President At Compass Diversified Wishes They Knew Before Private Equity
Entry-level private equity roles rarely hire directly from undergraduate programs; a typical path involves gaining two to three years of experience in investment banking or consulting, "most private equity firms typically look to hire people with maybe two to three years of experience in those fields". Investment banking and consulting firms offer internships to undergraduates, providing a potential route into private equity after obtaining full-time offers.
Investment Banking, Consulting, Private Equity, Finance, MBA
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rachel Koh
Vice President
Compass Diversified
Amherst College
N/A
Spanish & Other Languages
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Most private equity firms hire people with 2-3 years of experience in investment banking or consulting, or after an MBA.
2. Investment banking and consulting firms offer internships to undergraduates, which can lead to full-time offers.
3. A foundation in finance, quantitative analysis, and business sense is beneficial for a career in private equity.
Transcript
What intern-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate student may consider?
Most private equity firms do not hire people right out of undergrad. The typical path is to begin your career in investment banking or perhaps consulting.
I think both of those jobs give you a good foundational understanding of finance, quantitative analysis, and business sense. Most private equity firms typically look to hire people with two to three years of experience in those fields. Alternatively, they might hire after an MBA, a little later in their career.
Most investment banking and consulting firms offer internships to undergraduate students, typically between their junior and senior year. You then take that internship with the hope of getting a full-time offer once you graduate.