Education · 1 of 4

The path

Almost nobody joins private equity straight from school. The usual way in is through investment banking.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Finance, economics or accounting at a school banks recruit from.

2. 2

   Investment banking analyst

   2 to 3 years

   You learn to value companies and run deals. This is the training private equity firms want.

3. 3

   On-cycle recruiting

   A few days

   Big firms interview first and second year bank analysts in a rush of a few days, for jobs that start up to 2 years later.

4. 4

   Associate

   2 to 3 years

   Two to three years building models, checking companies and supporting deals.

5. 5

   Senior associate and up, or an MBA (Master of Business Administration)

   2 or more years

   Some firms promote. Many send associates to business school, then rehire the best.