I’m at the point where I need to start networking into PE seriously, and I’m genuinely uncomfortable with how to do this without feeling like I’m just extracting value. A lot of the networking advice I see online is either generic or feels like it’s prescribing a playbook that’s… kind of slimy? Like, “add value first by sending them a relevant insight,” which sometimes just feels like a polite way to force your way into someone’s inbox.
I’m curious how people who’ve successfully moved into PE from consulting actually approached this. Did you cold outreach? Work through your network? How did you structure those initial conversations to actually be useful rather than just another resume spam?
I’ve got maybe 10-15 legitimate connections at firms I’d want to work at, but I’m hesitant to just email them asking for time. And I’m worried that coming from consulting, I’ll read as someone trying to lever my way in rather than someone genuinely interested in the work. How did you navigate this?