| Whilst some finance gurus may be worrying about their jobs in the current climate, people with a specific background may actually have increased opportunities to get into finance.
In a steadily growing market, the route to get in VCs or PEs seems quite clear-cut. You can be an analyst in an investment bank right after you graduate or you can be an Associate after your MBA. Then, you might try to build a relationship with the VC/PE firms you prefer, in an attempt to get your foot through the door. But in this market, no one can guarantee anything. The route to a top finance job is not quite so clear cut. For candidates equipped with specific skills, however, there are actually more opportunities in the present market
For example, people with operational skills are better positioned to manage investee companies in this market. They have a better knowledge of ways to save money, by various means as oppose to just through job cuts.
Fund raising is always an important area for VC/PE firms. In a down market, raising funds is much more difficult. The firms that mainly focused on English speaking areas will now need more people with language skills to increase their fund raising market. Some secondary funds will need deal sources. If you have a good relationship with companies who own non-core investments, you may have good bargaining power.
A turbulent market can provide more diverse opportunities through the problems it creates. |