How to hire a private equity internship

How to hire a private equity internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step private equity internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a private equity internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new private equity internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the private equity internship you need to hire. Certain private equity internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A private equity internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, private equity interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of private equity internship salaries for various roles:

   Type of Private Equity Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Private Equity Internship	Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.	$11-32
   Investment Banking Analyst	An Investment Banking Analyst reviews and analyzes data for investment banking portfolios. They work with individuals and businesses to suggest potential investments for their clients.	$16-50
   Summer Analyst	Summer analysts are people who undertake an internship within a banking institution. These professionals perform analyses of detailed financial and corporate information... Show more	$20-49

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Models
   • Due Diligence
   • Wealth Management
   • Private Equity Firm
   • Market Research
   • Portfolio Companies
   • Healthcare
   • DCF
   • LBO
   • Acquisition Targets
   • Real Estate
   • Investment Strategies
   • Investment Committee
   • R

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage trade executions and broker relationships for all portfolio positions across several banks, prime brokerage accounts and electronic commodities exchanges.
   • Perform financial valuation on potential acquisition targets through the use of DCF, company comparables, and precedent transaction methodologies.
   • Assist with projects and administrative tasks such as creating PowerPoint's and checking daily/weekly overflow reports for accuracy.
   • Derive valuations of existing private equity portfolios by maintaining a series of DCF models for the company s secondary private equity business
   • Experience in Salesforce and Infusionsoft development and integration.
   • Perform comprehensive analysis of equities, formulate and utilize fundamental and technical analysis for various equity trading strategies and execution.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your private equity internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A private equity internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, private equity interns' average salary in kansas is 62% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level private equity interns 66% less than senior-level private equity interns.
   • Certifications. A private equity internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a private equity internship's salary.

   Average private equity internship salary

   $40,242yearly

   $19.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level private equity internship salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a private equity internship job description

   A good private equity internship job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a private equity internship job description:

   Private equity internship job description example

   Pingora is a private funded company to privately held and Founder companies on a global basis that acquires and operates companies long term.
   
   We currently have an internship opportunity to work with on a $5m, privately held client acquisiton strategy that is currently under LOI and in final stages of closing in the Memphis area.
   
   If you have an interest in Business Development, Private Equity or Investment Banking and are highly personable, creative and computer savvy and are able to create or desire to learn investment modeling please reach out.
   This is a chance to build up your resume and work in a PE environment.
   
   I am seeking a highly motivated intern to assist in the financial modeling, investment thesis, creation of teasers, decision matrix to supply to current owners and can be involved in the acquisition portion of this process to include sourcing deals and alternative funding and outbound strategies.
   The internship will begin based on availability of the intern and could start ASAP.
   
   Requirements: Be available for 10+hours/week except on holidays, for at least a three-month commitment Be articulate and fluent in English Have an interest in both high growth, Business development, investing and company operations Be flexible, industrious, and bring a positive attitude to work every day
   This is a non paid internship .
   About us: Dwight operates a global executive search firm and has successfully placed over 1,000 leaders in over 17 countries for the last 23 years. Dwight has achieved great success within his career and now advises Private and Global Corporations. Dwight is also an active investor and Global SVP of one of the most successful turn around global organizations with over 120 successful turnarounds and they currently own and operate 75+ companies with $1.7b revenue. He is also an active investor in the firms he presents on the buy side.
   Jeff is an award winning global turn around executive and published author,key note speaker and active investor that will directly guide and coach the intern to learn the inner workings of the private equity world.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right private equity internship for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your private equity internship job on Zippia to find and recruit private equity internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit private equity interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new private equity internship

   Once you've decided on a perfect private equity internship candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new private equity internship. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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