Seeking A Career In Private Equity – All You Need to Know

5 min read

Learning how to break into private equity might help you enhance your chances of landing a profitable and gratifying job in the industry. Regardless of what private equity position you want, knowing all of the top private equity firms will almost certainly increase your chances of success. Getting into private equity is a significant career step, but it necessitates a strong work ethic and a strong will to succeed. In this article, we will skim through what the PE field is about and how you may get started.

Private equity: A lucrative career

Private equity refers to ownership of a company that is not publicly traded or listed. It is a method for high-net-worth individuals and organizations to invest their money by obtaining significant stakes in private corporations or by purchasing enough shares in a public company to gain control and then delisting it from stock markets and turning it private.

People who work in this industry are typically hired by top investment firms such as pension funds and large private equity corporations. Because investing enough to take control of a firm demands enormous sums of money, the hiring organizations in this industry are frequently backed by large investors. Accordingly, the private equity profession involves significant sums of money and difficult decisions, some who work in it are typically top performers in a variety of fields.

Getting into private equity is worth it

There are three vital ways to get into the private equity industry:
  • Internships

Although most private equity firms prefer to hire and train people with hands-on experience in investment banking experience rather than graduates, you can still work in private equity as an undergraduate. Internships can be a great way to obtain experience working for a prominent company in the field, but not all PE firms provide them, and those that do are highly sought after by students.

In the realm of finance, a finance degree is usually the most valuable. If you feel impuissant to fetch internships in private equity during or immediately after college, look for one in a related industry such as investment banking, venture capital, or asset management.

  • A point to note here is that:

Internships in these disciplines are scarce, particularly at top firms, obtaining one is usually far easier than entering private equity directly. After a few years, you will be able to hunt for positions in private equity because you will have gained enough experience to no longer be considered an employee who requires basic training in the private equity industry.

Seeking A Career In Private Equity – All You Need to Know

Holding a Master’s Degree

Many people in private equity hold master's degrees in finance or related fields from well-established business schools so even if you could not enter the profession right after graduation, it can still help you later on after gaining some relevant experience. Getting enough work experience and then finishing your master's degree is usually a good way to start your career in private equity. However, the process requires you to carefully plan the process. Most top private equity firms prefer to hire entry-level employees with fresh eyes and the potential to gain new experiences.

Finding accessible open roles after completing a master's degree is the most difficult component of landing a job in private equity. This usually necessitates a lot of cold contact and socializing, as well as the capacity to self-educate on a variety of topics that were not taught in college. As a potential PE professional, you need to work on your portfolio to gain the attention of top employers. The top skills in your profile must include:

  • Networking skills, this is vital not only to discover and secure a position in the private equity market, but also to succeed later.

  • The ability to connect with multiple people in a short amount of time without losing focus or excitement is perhaps the most significant attribute for people seeking private equity positions.

  • If you want to get noticed, you are required to have enough individuals in the sector and stay focused while making a big number of phone calls, but once you do, you will need to show that you have the technical skills needed to flourish in the industry.

What adds weightage to your portfolio is a private equity certification.

Private equity certifications

Certifications are a great way to showcase your technical as well as non-technical skills in the PE industry that makes you stand taller against your completion. Several top-notch institutions like

CFA and USPEC offer private equity certifications that you can earn and get closer to your dream job in the field

 
 
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