- Protected Saturdays
- Posts
- Why On-Cycle Recruiting is Easier than Off-Cycle
Why On-Cycle Recruiting is Easier than Off-Cycle
+How to work with Headhunters
OfficeHours Coach
July 13, 2023
Hey All - I’m just going to come out and say it…
IF you’re going for PE and thinking about On-Cycle 2025 (which should probably start within 4-8 weeks by our estimates)…
Recruiting for On-Cycle is Easier than recruiting for Off-Cycle
Think about it
They’re going to ask you behavioral questions, technicals, modeling questions, you’ll have a modeling test, they’ll probably ask you why you want to join, why you want to leave banking, why you joined banking, what’s your fav portco, what’s your least favorite portco… etc. etc.
When they ask you about your deals, metrics, did you hold the pen on the model, what did synergies look like on the M&A front, did you think through revenue builds, organic growth, inorganic means, etc. etc.
WHAT DEAL AND METRICS AND MODEL ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT SINCE YOU’RE ONLY IN TRAINING?! lol
There is literally less FOR YOU TO REFERENCE BECAUSE OF YOUR LIMITED EXPERIENCE during an On-Cycle Process than an Off-Cycle Process…
You will literally have to tap into your summer experience and PE firms are banking on the fact that you will get experience because of your group’s reputation and honestly if they’ve hired from there before…
IF you recruit later when you have more work experience, they have more to ask you about — simple. Interviews then will be tougher.
We hear story after story about how some people hold all the power, and this can come in many different forms – it might be a bartender that just won’t take your order on a busy Saturday night, that ruthless MD that has a stranglehold on all the top client accounts, but trust me when I say, it can be absurd how much power the buyside headhunter holds on your post-banking recruiting journey.
Similar to a first boss in a video game, that first gatekeeper might seem unassuming, but without crossing this inevitable hurdle, you will not even be able to sniff your future aspirations. Below, I will outline some of the necessary steps you must take before challenging that first boss and working with a headhunter to kick off your recruiting journey:
Have CLEARLY Defined Goals (And This Means Knowing Both the “What” and the “Why”)
A headhunter’s job is to help their buyside clients secure the best candidates possible; they are NOT there to help you figure out what you want to do, or what steps you need to take to reach your goals – they do not have time for such trivial endeavors. Furthermore, the best candidates (i.e., the candidates that headhunters are looking for) know EXACTLY what they want out of their next role, and they know WHY they are the best fit for that next role.
Do NOT Accept Any Headhunter Calls if You Are Underprepared
The reality is that, especially amongst the top headhunters, it is a system of “one strike, and you are out”. These headhunters hold the key to your access across multiple top-tier job opportunities. Failing an interview/intro discussion doesn’t eliminate you from one buyside process, but rather, several processes in mere seconds. It is perfectly acceptable to deny an intro call (while respectfully asking to keep the door open for possible discussions in the future) while you work to figure out those “what’s” and “why’s” that I mentioned earlier in this article.
You should Focus on Behavioral Questions, but Do NOT Completely Ignore Your Technical Preparation
In my experience, the most commonly asked questions from headhunters are as follows:
“Tell me About Yourself”
Your answer to this question should include a summary of your professional and academic experiences up until this point, WHAT you are looking for in your next role, and WHY you are the best candidate for the role (and ideally, you can tie the WHY to your wealth of past professional and academic experiences that have prepared you for your next role).
Behavioral & Technical Questions
You will likely not be asked case studies or any math, but you should know the key KPIs and levers of your target industry, recent deals from your target firm, the deals on your resume, and/or the buyout/investment strategy of your target buyside firm.
Are you focused on recruiting in 2023? |
Check Out All Our Blog Posts
We invite you to create a free account on our platform to access our free materials, latest blogs, and articles. If you're interested in learning more, a senior coach will be available for a free introductory call with live advice.
Schedule an Intro Call With One of Our Top Coaches and Get a Taste of what OfficeHours Can Offer You!
Are you preparing for the Buyside? Schedule a call now with our top coaches or submit your application directly here and we’ll be in touch! Our experienced coaches will work with you to set and achieve your goals and provide support and guidance along the way.
If you’ve made it this far down into our newsletter, might as well tell you… It’s Almost Our 3rd Birthday And We Have A Gift For You: Our Buyside Starter Kit For Just $109.50! Use Code: 3RDBIRTHDAY
Visit OfficeHours Blog and follow us on our social media accounts: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter for our latest updates.