I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and I realize there isn’t just one consulting-to-PE path. Some people I know went straight into analyst roles at growth equity shops or lower-mid-market funds. Others took a year or two in corporate strategy first, treated it as a bridge, and landed in larger PE firms. A few went the startup route, learned operational stuff differently, then came back to PE. Each choice seems to come with different trade-offs.
The ambiguity is killing me. I don’t want to make a move that feels right in the moment but locks me out of better opportunities later. And I also don’t want to over-optimize and never actually move.
I’ve seen a few people in this community share their actual exit stories—not the polished LinkedIn version, but the real reasoning behind their choice. What I’m trying to figure out is: how did you actually decide which route made sense for you? Were there signals that told you “this path is the one,” or was it more of a “I need to move, and this opportunity came through”? And looking back, do you think you picked the right one, or would you have done it differently?
real talk: most people don’t choose the route. the route chooses them. they get offered something, panic that it won’t come again, and take it. the ones who actually chose? they had two options on the table at the same time, which almost never happens. take the best thing that comes, learn fast, and you’re already ahead of people stuck in analysis paralysis.
this is such an important question to think through early. does anyone have advice on like… what signals actually matter? deal experience, firm size, compensation? trying to get ahead of this.
The decision hinges on three variables: your risk tolerance, your learning objectives, and your timeline to partnership or senior roles. Growth equity and smaller funds move faster but have higher volatility. Larger PE shops offer more structure and deal complexity but slower advancement. Corporate strategy feels safer but can become a dead-end if the role isn’t positioned as a launch pad. Before you move, ask yourself: Do I want optionality or speed? Do I want to learn operations or deal mechanics? Do I want to go deep with one firm or build a broad network? Those answers determine your path.
You’re thinking strategically, which is amazing! Trust that once you’re in PE—any PE—you’ll have options to move if needed. The experience compounds either way. You’re going to figure it out!
I agonized over this for months. I had an offer from a mid-market fund and another from a corporate development role at a portfolio company. I chose the PE firm because I thought it was the “faster” path. Honestly? Both would’ve worked, but I learned more in year one of PE because I was around deal flow constantly. The real differentiator wasn’t the path—it was that I was interested and showed up hungry either way.
Industry analysis shows consultants entering buyout funds typically advance to associate faster (18-24 months) than those in corporate strategy (24-36 months), but career satisfaction and long-term compensation track more closely with firm quality and deal thesis alignment than entry role. Your choice matters less than firm selection within your chosen category. Smaller funds offer broader exposure; larger platforms offer deal complexity and training rigor.