1.21.11, Career Contemplations PE vs Asset Management.

I just wanted to post this real quick. PE Search,…well, I have been trying for the last year and a half to get back into PE/IB, and OMG, it is a challenge. Most of the employers look for someone with extensive experience in the area. While, I have extensive experience in both consumer & commercial finance. I do not think they particularly view this as valuable. The other thing that has stood out to me while doing industry research is how heavily Male Dominated this industry is & the lack of minority presence in the firms. This is a good question to pose now. How does work life balance work in an office full of men who work all the time & have women at home managing their personal lives (i.e. kids, socials, etc)? I know what it is like to work in a primarily male dominated environment. I have consistently excelled in environments of that nature over time. But, I am just starting to think realistically about how my life will be post MBA. Especially, since I already have a family. And, I will more than likely be married by the time I finish my MBA and looking to add another child to my family about 2-3 years later after graduating in 2013. I think my son will be 7/8 by the time he becomes a big bro, lol.
The reason I am thinking about these things so early has to do with the research I have done on majority of these organizations. It is difficult to even find a female presence on the analyst level. And, if she is there she is usually 1 of 10…etc…I have just gotten another response from a recruiter for a Local PE company that said they were looking for someone with more specific M&A experience. So, it is just making me think if I should rethink my approach to how I am going to leverage my past experiences with where I want to go in the future. I know for sure, that I am looking to be a company that is sensitive to being a minority (i.e. African American, A Woman, & A Mother).
I am looking for not only a fit for business school. But, the right fit for employment as well. Key questions to ask are: how many women are execs in your company? Do you constantly promote women into these roles? How will a career path look for someone who is interested in going this route? Etc……the next company I join, even though I am of “Gen Y”, I plan to be there for the rest of my career or at least 5-10 yrs. I am looking to contribute to the company I work for long term. It’s funny because I have been volunteering financial advisory services to a good friend of mines who has owned a business for the last 10yrs. And, I realize that I love serving in an advisory role. I enjoy it greatly. I enjoy helping people . And, Life is even better when I can do it in a manner that is served in my career. And, I want to do so in a way that is on a macro level. Thus, the firm I ultimately end up at will have a consistent presence of female leadership on a regular basis, have a financial advisory arm in the area in the area of asset management for institutions, and be domestic & international. Thus, allowing an overseas opportunity for my career & family. Anyway, these are just some thoughts that came across my mind. And, it made me think of some of the Forte Podcast I had listened to over the last year. Forte has been invaluable to me because I have taken some of the things I learned and have applied them to my career currently. I am going to take some time to look into Black Rock Investments & Solutions this weekend. I just finished listening to Black Rock Podcast Series. One of the founders is Barbara Novick. She is Vice Chair. They focus on the Sell Side.

As Always…Be Luv!

Rashida