I cracked private equity without an Ivy League pedigree or bulge-bracket badge.
My route was a step-by-step climb from the outside, aimed squarely at PE’s engine room: the middle market.
My Path: A Playbook for Outsiders
First Job → Finessing My Way In
Asset-management back office. Counting basis points while dreaming of real ownership. PE felt like the promised land, but the mega-fund path was a non-starter—so I pivoted into a regional IB shop and leveled up from there.
The Grind → Finding My Edge
I finessed my way into a smaller IB shop and later levelled up to a bigger platform. Cue ~100‑hour weeks, endless Excel marathons, and late‑night self‑taught technicals. It wasn’t the “top bank + head‑hunter speed run”; it was a methodical grind through many failed interviews that I treated as reps, not rejections.
The Seat → Middle-Market Private Equity
The hustle paid off. I landed the seat by proving I could think like an investor, not just a model monkey. The bigger win? A repeatable system for breaking in that doesn’t rely on luck or pedigree. UpLevered exists to share that playbook.
This Site Is For You If You’re…
✅ A first-gen college grad navigating the process alone
✅ Pivoting from accounting, FP&A, Big 4, or another “non-traditional” background
✅ Targeting middle-market or lower-middle-market PE firms
✅ Already in IB or PE and want deeper technical frameworks & investor-level insight.
✅ Or just sick of hearing “you have to go from IB to PE” is the only way
If you nodded even once, you’re in the right place.
What You’ll Find Here – MM Toolkit
| Pillar | What’s Inside | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting Guides | Email scripts, cold-call funnels, coffee-chat agendas | Built for \$25-500 mm funds that filled 77 % of 2025 buyouts. |
| Technical Deep Dives | LBO traps, roll-up math, value-creation levers | Every concept framed through a middle-market deal. |
| Insider Templates | Résumés, deal sheets, IC memos | Plug-and-play assets I use on the job. |
Together they form a three-pillar system to help you get smart, get prepared, get hired—where 8 of 10 deals actually close.
Start with a Proven Resume
Need a recruiter‑ready resume? Download the same one‑page template + bullet formulas that got me in the door.
Get the Free PE Resume Kit(Directs you to our Private Equity Resume template guide’s download links)
Let’s Connect
Shoot me a note—whether you’re breaking in, burnt out, or just browsing.
Email: [email protected]
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