Friday, January 17 - "How Do I Break Into PE?"

Happy Friday,

Here’s what’s on the job description for today:

1. New roles from a leading scientific journal publisher.

2. Today’s question: “I have some startup experience but would like to work in PE. I don’t have investment banking experience so how do I break into that world?”

IN HIRING

Frontiers

• With over 1800 journals currently available for their community, the company is worth looking at for anyone interested in furthering scientific innovation.

• A handful of roles are available worldwide, with a few brand new roles posted in the past few days.

• Here are a few of the most interesting roles available

  • Product Manager - Click here for full details

  • Applications Manager - Click here for full details

  • HR Advisor - Click here for full details

Click here for the company’s career page

TODAY’S QUESTION

Erwin asks, “I have some startup experience but would like to work in PE. I don’t have investment banking experience so how do I break into that world?”

Recommendation: Private Equity (PE) is a deadly competitive business - here’s how I’d think about getting in without the typical background experience:

• First, as I’ve mentioned before on this newsletter, consider all department of private equity.

  • We are inundated with a focus on how exciting and sexy investing is but these teams need portfolio management teams, sales and account management, accounting, marketing, and everything in between.

  • If you’re truly interested in the area, be broad in your applications.

• Second, one side of PE that is almost never explored is the operations of managing a business once it’s purchased. Given your startup experience, it may be a better fit for you to take on a management position within the companies that have been purchased.

  • I know of a few opportunities in this area for those interested but know that they’re US-focused.

• Finally, reach out to the head hunters in this area and get a meeting with them so they can understand your story and motivation.

  • In most major markets, the PE firms don’t do the hiring but instead get third party recruitment firms to do that on their behalf.

  • This makes them the gatekeepers of PE hiring so it’s a great starting point to set these meetings up and get their feedback on your candidacy.

Conclusion:

PE is really interesting - I get it. Be open in your search and meet with the main gatekeepers to get started.

The 2-Hour Job Search: A book I used during and after the MBA to find my first interviews. It’s a foundational resource for anyone who wants actionable steps to get more interviews.

Atomic Habits: One of the most recommended books of all time, I personally have found great long term value in the direct steps laid out in this book. It is one of the only books that stays on my shelf with sticky notes even after reading it.