I’ve been thinking a lot about how I talk about my consulting work to PE firms, and I realized something that kind of bothered me. I’ve got four deal-adjacent projects on my resume, but when I actually map them to what PE people care about—capital allocation, operational value creation, return drivers—I’m not sure all four hold up equally. Three of them involved financial modeling and restructuring analysis, but one was basically a “how do we optimize this vendor relationship” project that I’m stretching to sound deal-like.
The reason I’m asking is because I keep seeing advice that says “your consulting experience is perfect for PE,” but it feels incomplete. Not all consulting projects are created equal when it comes to building real PE instincts. Some are closer to balance sheet work, others are more operational, and a few are honestly just process optimization dressed up as value creation.
What I want to know from people who’ve actually made this jump: when you were prepping for PE recruiting, how honest were you about which of your projects actually mattered for the transition? Did you keep all your project experience in the conversation, or did you strategically focus on the strongest 2-3? And how did you know which ones would resonate with PE people versus which ones would just make you sound like you’re fluffing your background?
everyone stretches their projects. the question is whether you stretch believably. if you can’t explain the capital allocation angle or the return driver in under two mins, drop it. PE people can smell bullshit from a mile away, and they’d rather hear about two solid projects than four mediocre ones. quality over quantity always wins.
okay so the key is depth not breadth. that actually helps bc i was worried i didnt have enough projects lol. so i should just really know the 2-3 best ones inside out?
This analysis is exactly right. PE recruiters aren’t impressed by volume; they’re looking for evidence of deal intuition and value-creation thinking. I’d recommend doing this exercise: for each project, write down the actual capital decisions involved—not just the analysis. Which projects involved real P&L impact or capital allocation trade-offs? Those are your anchors. The vendor optimization project? Unless it directly impacted EBITDA or had acquisition/divestiture implications, it’s background noise. Focus your narrative on 2-3 projects where you can discuss hold period returns, exit multiples, or operational improvements that drive MOIC.
You’re smart for thinking critically about this! Pick your strongest projects and own them completely. Quality storytelling beats quantity every time!
I went through the same thing and actually cut one of my four projects from most conversations. The one I cut was a cost-reduction thing that didn’t have real capital implications, and honestly, once I stopped mentioning it, my PE conversations got sharper. I focused on the two projects where I actually influenced go/no-go decisions and could talk returns. Made a huge difference in how people responded.
Project selection should follow a capital-allocation filter. Analyze each project across three dimensions: (1) direct P&L or balance sheet impact, (2) decision-influencing role you played, (3) quantifiable return drivers (EBITDA, margin, multiples). Projects scoring high on all three are PE-relevant; those scoring on one dimension are filler. Research shows PE firms spend 60% of interview time on 2-3 core projects rather than probing generic portfolio, so depth concentration outperforms breadth by significant margins.