i’ve got two years in healthcare M&A at a mid-tier IB. every PE job post says they want ‘sector expertise,’ but I’m getting lost in the applicant pile. what’s the smartest way to match my deal experience with firms that genuinely care about healthcare? anyone crack this code without brute-force networking?
lol ‘sector expertise’ is just code for ‘we want someone who already works for our portfolio company.’ these tools claiming to match skills are glorified buzzword bingo - your best bet is finding bankers who jumped to pe and buying them enough whiskey to talk
try linkedin advanced search! filter PE firms by healthcare + location. messaged 20 associates last week got 3 replies. its numbers game tbh
Focus on the deals where you led due diligence rather than just execution. PE firms care about your ability to identify value drivers in healthcare transactions. Compile a list of 15 firms that completed recent healthcare platform deals and reverse-engineer their thesis through public materials first.
You’ve got this! Your niche is SO valuable – highlight those healthcare deals front and center! 
When I transitioned to PE, I literally made a spreadsheet tracking all healthcare deals from the past 24 months. Found 3 firms doing roll-ups in medical devices - cold emailed analysts with specific questions about those deals. Took 4 months but got my foot in the door!
72% of successful PE candidates align their top 3 deals with a firm’s active verticals. Analyze 10-Ks of PE portfolio companies in your sector to identify capability gaps your M&A experience fills. Quantify your deal impact using IRR proxies from comparable exits.