Private Equity Careers

Private equity is a destination career – many jobs are stepping stones to other jobs, but those who pursue private equity in earnestness, this is the ultimate landing place. A private equity job is deemed to be among the most respectable jobs in the market and there are myriad options available for candidates seeking private equity recruitment in prominent institutions within the sector.

What is a Private Equity Career all about?

A Private equity career is fast becoming a much sought after career choice in the financial sector for MBA graduates or technology degree holders. Private equity jobs are among the most intriguing and top class positions in finance demanding a profound knowledge related to bid equity acquisition or purchases taking place in the private equity market and the stock market. In addition, know-how about other company’s working along with other activities besides stock market, renders one at an edge compared to others.

To excel in a private equity job, one must master written and spoken communication skills because of extensive research work involved and exhibit a solid grasp of the financial markets. Once certified, private equity careers can be pursued within large institutions or small research firms. Although the industry of private equity goes through peaks and valleys, there is steady and consistent demand for Private equity analysts to detect the trends and patterns surrounding this influential sector in the global capital markets.

A private equity career will require nearly every skill adorning books to come up with an intelligent and an appropriate decision for a deal’s execution. However, a successful private equity career involves use of bookish financial skills to come with new robust strategies and implement them to get phenomenal results.

Private Equity Career Prospects for an MBA Graduate:

Overlooking the current scenario which reflects endless economic issues and soaring competition levels in every arm of the market, witnessing a robust and successful private equity career surely requires the presence of sheer motivation accompanied with outstanding investment and financial skills. The private equity job in itself is undoubtedly demanding, however, that extra hard work both physically and emotionally that one exudes, pays one well. For a fresher in pursuit of a lucrative private equity job, initial positions offered by firms include that of a private equity analysts and associates. However, such firms do recruit undergraduate degree holders, but MBA degree holders are obviously at an edge.

An MBA graduate is trained to survive this tough sector and emerge as a protagonist while tackling and making decisions over high level issues which require an aggressive know-how of market dynamics. Every year MBA graduates are growing due to rising graduation sources and they are witnessed to flock private equity firms for private equity jobs.

Top Business schools witness a majority of experienced students pursuing MBA amidst others. Although private equity firms coming for campus recruitments do hire fresh outs, it has been noticed that the ones grabbing the job hold a prior experience in the financial sector before undergoing their MBA program. Hence, surviving in private equity sector by a non-experienced candidate is obviously cumbersome but we can’t ignore the fact that exceptions always exist.

Compensation Offered in Private Equity jobs:

Unlike, for fresh outs, the pay packages for one hired at a high position (usually involving experienced MBA grads) is undeniably the best for jobs in the investment sector. However, for beginners and other initial level position holders, the priceless opportunity to swim deep into financial working of the company and the economy as a whole, along with chances to absorb the useful marketing and financial skills while interacting with CEOs and senior staff officials, is their real pay package.

Skills Set for Robust Private Equity Careers/Jobs:

Amidst burgeoning economic meltdown, private equity jobs have still adhered to their ‘most demanded’ tag. The crux for grabbing a private equity job in a prestigious firm is that one should stick down to one’s basics and grasp of the stream. The main outlines adorning the skills set are:

  • For those, technology driven people mulling to have a prospective private equity job, be well prepared to put your financial and investment skills on test. One needs to be highly focused on private equity with full determination. A sound knowledge about finance and investment market is the utmost requirement.
  • On a grass root level, strong communication, power to empathize and an outstanding understanding ability is one combination that forms the backbone of a robust private equity career.
  • Aspirants will need to develop an internal affinity towards working hard and grab new updates related to companies or a newly launched product as a part of one’s daily life. One should have a profound know-how its company’s private funding and investors.
  • Making intelligent business decisions requires an aggressive mastery in comprehending the attributes linked to different business models.
  • Spreadsheets are deemed to be an integral part of private equity jobs. Hence, one will require chiselled skills for analyzing and working with spreadsheets.
  • Besides, those seeking to get into a private equity firms need to have polished skills to comprehend buyout models.
  • Another important skill considered of great importance is one’s ability to effectively conclude deals. In addition, one needs to be very meticulous when it comes to making new networks and managing people including customers. All this basically adds to one’s career growth. In the clubby world of private equity, most people usually land their cushy jobs through persistent networking and people’s management skills.
  • Presence of finely polished soft skills also forms the fundamental basis of a strong private equity job and a sound career in this line. All the top private equity firms are running on the backs of private equity leaders possessing these skills.

An intelligent combination of all the above depicted skills is the real mark of an adept private equity veteran. An aspiring private equity analyst must be qualified to analyse trends such as capital-raising, types of deals transpiring in the markets, detect these patterns, assess what is driving the activity and determine the direction of the industry.