I work as an investment professional at a private equity firm in Dallas, TX, and since 2013 I have also been building a financial modeling and private equity training resource with the intention of making instruction simple and content accessible. I wrote about the experience of maintaining both in an article that was later picked up by Forbes (link), which sheds some light on my experience maintaining a “side hustle.”
On account of these two roles, I receive a lot of emails asking for advice related to securing a job in investment banking and / or private equity. What follows is a list of answers I have used to respond to these questions. This list is by no means complete, and I intend to continue adding to it over time. For those of you struggling with the process, know that it is not easy. If you need a pick-me-up, here’s a video describing my experience landing my first job.
Many of these answers originated as questions emailed by ASM subscribers, which I then transferred to Quora. Others were initially answered on Quora, and then subsequently used to answer emailed questions. For that reason you will notice that many link to Quora and only a few link to ASM.
On Job Searches:
What are the best cities to work in M&A? (for those to focused on one city)
Our Interview Process / Preparation:
How do I get into private equity straight out of undergraduate? (a word of caution)
On Private Equity:
Why do people prefer public equity investing jobs over PE? (whichever field you choose to pursue, you are likely to be asked in any interview why the choice makes sense to you)
On Learning Financial Modeling (Affordable Solutions):
On Learning: Knowledge I Wish I Had in College (some comments on the science of learning as it relates to financial modeling)
Quick Math Interview Tips:
On Distribution Waterfalls:
Potential Interview Questions / Challenges (needs many more examples):
On Reading Financial Statements and Annual Reports:
On Interesting Transactions (if interviewer asks for examples, etc.):
Suggested Reading:
And finally, if you get the job, this will make your life easier: