Dear community!
It is going without saying that it is difficult to transfer from MBB to PE. Still, there are some PE firms that allow that. The question is to which extent "the prestige" of an MBB office may increase such a transfer? In case the target PE firm is in London, should I work there as an MBB consultant or it is ok to work in Dubai's MBB office?
Thank you in advance!
Hi there,
I would say it's absolutely do-able to transfer from MBB to PE. I would make sure you're setting yourself up for this, by taking on the right roles/responsibilities and networking early, but it's totally achievable!
Now, how to do this directly? I have a few tips:
Some additional Q&As here
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/transitioning-from-consulting-to-private-equity-w-vs-wo-mba-8422
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/from-strat-to-pe-6962
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/exit-opportunities-for-ma-strategy-dd-focused-teams-tier-2-consulting-7450
Hi there,
I'm going to try and help you by disagreeing with a few of comments / assumptions.
Firstly, I don't think that it's difficult to make that transfer. There are more natural entry points to PE for sure, but with the right experience at MBB, you can easily demonstrate the right knowledge and skills. I have former colleagues who spent much of their time at MBB on Due Diligence projects and that was a perfect lead-in to MBB. Also, Bain specifically is certainly perceived as a strong consulting partner for PE firms, so they would certainly hire from Bain.
Second, I'm always surprised at the significance people attach to specific office prestige. For goodness sake, it's MBB! The type of work you did, the knowledge and skills you built, and your networking to "sell" the same will by far supercede the specific office you worked in.
Finally, join an office that gives you the greatest opportunity to do the work you want to do with the people you connect with. That will give you the greatest opportunity to succeed at MBB at build up a PE-resume, regardless of the office. Which, again, is much more important than office prestige.
Hope this helps,
Allen
I worked at Bain for 5 years, in my MBA right now. I spent 18 months in Bain's PE practice (Germany and other EU countries). Getting into PE was not a problem - leveraging the partners network etc. Getting into mid-cap funds is no issue, also getting into the bigger ones (Bain Cap, Advent, Carlyle etc) is not impossible - PE in general is just outrageously competitive since there are so few slots. Do MBB wherever you would like to do PE later.
PE is a very local/regional business and so a background from the Middle East is not highly relevant for a London/Europe PE team. If you are set on a PE exit post-MBB, it would be preferable to try and chose the location you plan to exit in.
Hi there,
I'd agree with other coaches - 1) from MBB to PE is not that uncommon, and it is 100% doable. 2) the office doesn't matter that much!
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out!
GB
Hi there,
If you want to target an exit in London then the London office is for sure the best.
It is not much for the prestige of the office. You will simply be able to network more easily if you are there compared to any other office.
It doesn’t mean it will be impossible if you work in Dubai – it will just be more difficult to build the network.
Best,
Francesco
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