Private Equity, Simplified
The investment banking vs private equity debate often misses a crucial point: middle market private equity isn’t some consolation prize you settle for after striking out on-cycle—it’s a distinct, hands-on career path that’ll give you faster responsibility and earlier operational exposure than most finance professionals realize. While the traditional narrative frames private equity as the … Read more
Middle-market and lower-middle-market private equity interview questions reward precision under pressure. Most guides are written for mega-fund scenarios; this one is built for MM/LMM roles where you actually touch the model and the company. Inside: battle-tested frameworks, mini-formulas, and mental-math drills to practice aloud (just make sure to keep your answers under two minutes). TL;DR … Read more
Anyone can learn to link cells in Excel. That’s the price of admission. The real differentiator, or what separates a top-tier private equity candidate from the pack (besides following our private equity recruiting guide), is commercial judgment. It’s the ability to spot the subtle, return-killing traps that hide in plain sight within a model… just … Read more
Landing a coveted private equity role isn’t just about polishing your resume – it’s about excelling in the private equity interview gauntlet. As someone who broke into this industry from a non-traditional background and now sits on the other side of the table, I can tell you PE interviews are a different beast. You need … Read more
Private Equity Networking: A Step-by-Step Guide (2025) Introduction: Your Key to Unlocking Private Equity Networking Opportunities So you want to learn how to break into private equity, but you didn’t go to a target school, work at Goldman, or grow up with Wall Street parents. All good. I didn’t either, so today we talk about … Read more
Download the Private Equity Résumé Template (2025) Grab both versions—no email required. PDF for preview/print, Word for editing. Download PDF Download Word (.docx) Summary — Pass the 6-Second Scan One page, clean font (10.5–11.5), tight margins. Lead with Deal → Action → Result; quantify. Use investor verbs: evaluated, underwrote, diligenced, recommended. Show LBO/DCFs + value … Read more
Introduction: Your Ambition is Valid (And I Get It) Wondering how to break into private equity when you didn’t attend a target school or start in investment banking? You’re not alone—I was the first in my family to hear the phrase “leveraged buyout,” yet I still landed a middle-market PE role. This guide distills that … Read more