Leland+ for Private Equity

Break into Investment Banking + Private Equity

Join this discussion moderated by @YourAverageFinanceBro, a leading finance comedy creator on Instagram and LinkedIn! A panel of expert Leland coaches who help candidates land roles in investment banking and private equity will break down these industries' complex recruiting processes into clear, actionable advice. This session will cover what it really takes to break into highly competitive finance careers through practical guidance on recruiting strategy, preparation, and common pitfalls, providing insights you can apply immediately to stand out and secure interviews at the top firms.

Wine Import Venture Feasibility Model (Excel)

Excel-based feasibility and financial model for planning a wine import venture. Enter SKU-level pricing, landed costs, shipment size, channel mix.

Headhunter Preferred Resume Format for PE/HF

This resume is an example of the preferred resume format from a top PE/HF headhunter. This is a good format to match in making your own resume.

Intro to Real Estate Private Equity and Headwinds

Real estate private equity offers a unique blend of investing, operations, and market analysis, but today’s environment presents new challenges and opportunities. This session provides an overview of how real estate PE works, including deal structures, value creation levers, and career paths, while also unpacking current headwinds such as interest rates, financing constraints, and shifting demand across asset classes. You’ll gain a clearer understanding of how firms are adapting and what this means for investors and candidates alike.

How to Stand Out in Private Equity Recruiting

Private equity recruiting is highly competitive—and standing out takes strategy. This session is designed to help you understand what PE firms look for and how to differentiate yourself in the process. In this event, you’ll learn how to position your experience, prepare effectively for interviews, and build a compelling narrative that highlights your impact. We’ll also cover common mistakes and what top firms value most. Whether you’re early in recruiting or preparing for final rounds, you’ll leave with practical strategies and a stronger edge.

Breaking Into Growth Equity: How Funds Think, Hire, and Invest

Growth equity is where high-growth companies scale—and breaking in starts with understanding how funds operate. This session offers an inside look at how growth equity firms think, hire, and invest. You’ll learn how funds evaluate opportunities, what they look for in candidates, and how recruiting differs from PE or VC. Whether you’re exploring the space or preparing to recruit, you’ll leave with clear insight and momentum to pursue growth equity with confidence.

The Comprehensive Guide to PE Secondaries Recruiting

Interested in recruiting for private equity secondaries? This PDF is a 25-page guide to private equity secondaries written by a former Blackstone Strategic Partners Associate who spent 4 years executing GP-led continuation funds and co-investments. Covers everything you need to land a secondaries role: what secondaries are and why the market exists, a deep dive into LP-led vs. GP-led transactions with walkthrough examples, the J-curve and how secondaries mitigate it, a ranked table of the top 25 secondaries firms by AUM, which major PE firms are launching secondaries practices (and why), 2024–2025 market data and trends ($226B+ in volume, the rise of single-asset CVs, credit and VC secondaries), 15+ technical interview questions with detailed answers, 10 behavioral questions with full sample answers, and a 'Why Secondaries' framework you can adapt to any firm. Updated March 2026.

How to Stand Out in Private Equity Recruiting - March 2026

Private equity recruiting is intensely competitive, and strong technical skills alone are rarely enough to secure an offer. In this session, you’ll learn how top candidates differentiate themselves through sharper deal narratives, stronger investment judgment, and more strategic networking. We’ll break down what firms are really evaluating at each stage of the process and how to position your background, whether from banking, consulting, or another path, to stand out in a crowded field.

How to Network Your Way Into Private Equity

After this session, you will know how to build a PE network that actually generates referrals, not just connections. We will cover how to identify and approach associates and principals at target firms, what to say in outreach emails that get responses, and how to turn informational calls into relationships that move your candidacy forward.

Positioning for PE and the Buy Side in EMEA

Breaking into private equity and buy-side roles across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa requires a clear understanding of regional recruiting dynamics, fund structures, and candidate expectations. In this session, you’ll learn how EMEA recruiting timelines differ from the US, what firms prioritize in backgrounds and deal experience, and how to position yourself effectively whether you’re coming from banking, consulting, or another pathway. You’ll leave with a practical strategy for networking, technical preparation, and crafting a narrative that resonates with buy-side firms across the region.

How to Land a Role as a Growth Equity Analyst

Breaking into growth equity is competitive, and most candidates struggle because they don't know how the role differs from traditional private equity or what firms are actually evaluating. This session is for undergraduates, MBA students, and early-career professionals who are actively recruiting for growth equity analyst positions. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of how to position your deal experience, what frameworks interviewers use to assess market sizing and company evaluation, and how to tailor your story for growth-stage investing roles specifically. Attending live gives you the chance to ask questions about your specific background and get real-time feedback that a recording simply can't offer. The insights shared here reflect the patterns seen across successful candidates, the kind of guidance that typically comes up in one-on-one coaching conversations. If you're actively recruiting or plan to start soon, this is worth your time.

How to Crush your Finance Behavioral Interviews

In finance interviews, technical skills get you in the room—but behavioral answers often decide who gets the offer. Your ability to tell clear, confident stories about leadership, resilience, and impact can make all the difference. In this session, you’ll learn how to structure powerful answers, anticipate the questions firms consistently ask, and turn your experiences into memorable, results-driven narratives. We’ll break down what interviewers are truly assessing and how to respond with clarity, confidence, and credibility. If you want to walk into your next finance interview prepared to stand out, this is where to start.

Using AI to Build a Stronger Private Equity Profile

AI can be a powerful tool for building a stronger private equity profile, but most candidates aren’t sure how to use it in a way that actually adds signal. This session is for aspiring PE candidates who want to leverage AI to sharpen their experience, materials, and overall positioning. You’ll learn how to use AI to refine your resume and deal narratives, deepen your investment thinking, and build differentiated projects that demonstrate real investor judgment.

Build Your PE Recruiting Plan

After this session, you will know how to build a realistic, timeline-driven recruiting plan for private equity, including when to target firms, how to sequence outreach, and what milestones to hit before your first interviews. Most candidates underestimate how early the process starts and how much the structure of their plan shapes their outcomes.

Break into Private Equity: Event Week Kickoff April 2026

Private equity is one of the most competitive paths in finance, and breaking in often requires more than strong credentials alone. This kickoff session is designed for candidates attending Private Equity Week who want a clear view of what the recruiting landscape actually looks like and how to approach it strategically. You’ll learn how professionals in the industry evaluate candidates, what strong applicants tend to do differently during recruiting, and how to make the most of the sessions and resources throughout the week.

Headhunters and Resumes: How to Get Noticed in PE Recruiting

Private equity recruiting is highly selective, and your resume and cover letter need to communicate impact, rigor, and investment judgment quickly. This session is designed for candidates targeting PE roles who want to understand how top applicants position their experience and stand out on paper. You’ll learn how to structure a results-driven resume, highlight deal and transaction experience effectively, and craft a cover letter that clearly signals fit and interest in the firm.

What It Takes to Pass the PE Technical Round

After this session, you will know how to structure a leveraged buyout model under time pressure, articulate an investment thesis that holds up to pushback, and answer the deal experience questions that consistently trip up strong candidates. The focus is on the patterns that separate people who pass from people who stall: where the logic breaks down, what interviewers are actually stress-testing, and how to think through a case you have never seen before.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Writing

Many people have asked me a set of questions frequently. These questions will answer some of your questions quickly!

Landing a Job in Private Equity: How to Stand Out in a Competitive Market

​Breaking into private equity is one of the toughest transitions in finance—and standing out requires more than just strong technical skills. In this session, you’ll learn what top firms really look for in candidates and how to set yourself apart at every stage of the recruiting process. ​In this session, Max A, Isha A., and Kenny J. will cover how to highlight the right experiences on your resume, sharpen your technical and investing skill set, and prepare for the types of interviews PE firms use to identify top talent. Whether you’re currently in investment banking, exploring a career switch, or just starting to learn about the industry, this session will give you actionable strategies to position yourself for success in a highly competitive market.

Financial Modeling | 5 Year Annual Model

A 5-year financial model template built for aspiring and early-career investors. Complete with a full P&L, returns, debt paydown.