PE Recruiting Blog

Free guides and frameworks to help you break into private equity. Written by people who have been through the process.

Technical Skills

PE Modeling Test: How to Pass the 90-Minute and 3-Hour LBO

What's tested, how to allocate your time, the build order that protects you under pressure, and the quiet disqualifiers that kill candidates without them knowing.

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Recruiting Materials

The PE Deal Sheet: Template, Examples, and How to Talk About Your Deals

What to include, formatting standards, two full example deals, and how to structure your "walk me through a deal" answer in interviews.

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Career Strategy

Megafund vs Middle Market PE: Comp, Lifestyle, Deals & How to Choose

A direct comparison of megafund and middle market PE across compensation, deal types, hours, career trajectory, and recruiting differences.

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Interview Prep

"Why PE?" and "Why This Firm?": Frameworks and Example Answers

How to answer the two most-asked PE fit questions. Strong vs weak frameworks, two full example answers, common mistakes, and a research checklist.

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Interview Prep

Top 50 Private Equity Interview Questions (2026) — With Model Answers

The most common PE interview questions organized by category: fit, LBO technical, accounting, and deal discussion. Includes model answer frameworks for each.

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Technical Skills

How to Ace the Paper LBO: Step-by-Step Framework + Practice Problems

A complete walkthrough of the paper LBO framework, mental math shortcuts, common mistakes, and practice problems with full solutions.

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Networking

The Complete Guide to PE Headhunters: Who They Are & How to Get on Their Radar

Everything you need to know about the PE headhunter ecosystem, from the top firms to what they evaluate on calls and how to stand out.

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Career Transition

Breaking Into PE from Investment Banking: The Complete 2026 Guide

On-cycle vs. off-cycle, what firms look for, how to prepare your story, and everything else you need to make the jump from IB to PE.

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Process

PE Recruiting Timeline 2026: On-Cycle, Off-Cycle & What to Expect

A month-by-month breakdown of the PE recruiting process, when to start prepping, key milestones, and what happens at each round.

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