Getting experience in investment banking/private equity/search

searcher profile

June 03, 2025

by a searcher from Imperial College London in London, UK

I have been doing a self funded search for the last few month. One thing I have noticed is that people who have worked in investment banking and/or private equity have somewhat of an advantage because of their experience. My background is in software and technology. I have worked for a number of high profile startups in leadership positions and big-tech companies in mid-level management positions. I understand business, management and leadership. However, I feel like I am missing some professional experience in M&A, deal structuring and financing. If I wanted to get professional experience in these areas, what are some potential routes for me? What type of companies should I be looking at? And what roles within these companies would potentially be a good fit for someone with a software/tech leadership background? Thank you!
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Reply by an intermediary
from California State University, San Bernardino in Stratton, CO 80836, USA
Let's say you need to get a job as an actor, and you need to have your teeth straightened to qualify for the job. Do you go work with an orthodontist for several years to learn how to fix your own teeth? Or do you pay a orthodontist to fix your teeth and move on to what you want to do?
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Reply by a searcher
from Columbia University in Fairfax, VA, USA
I spent time in Investment Banking, and there are three core skills you pick up that are relevant for Search: 1) Financial modeling 2) Running a deal process 3) Understanding the key metrics of a good vs. bad vs. mediocre company That said, all of this is very learnable: 1) Plenty of resources on financial modeling 2) Tons of write-ups and case studies on deal execution 3) The best way to pick this up is just by doing - the more reps you get, the better you'll get at pattern matching At the end of the day, like many have said, there’s no substitute for just diving in. Start getting reps and you’ll pick it up faster than you think. If you'd like recs on specific resources, just shoot me a DM or email: redacted
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