However, if you are looking for a new job, there is little to lose by contacting a few headhunters.  But before you do, make sure that you CV is in great PE specific shape.  Without the right resume –and of course previous job experience-, they won’t be able to help you no matter how keen, smart and hard working you are.

The CV for a suitable private equity candidate should include proof of:

1) Relevant work experience: typically a couple of years of investment banking experience.
2) Top modelling skills: financial modelling will be your main occupation during the early years.
3) Academic excellence: most shops will not even consider a candidate with <3.0 GPA
4) Ability to communicate: if you cannot write and speak with coherence and clarity this is not your industry.
5) Team-working skills: collaboration is key. If you are a lone wolf, you could perhaps try your luck in equity research.

If you meet the above requirements, here is the list of the top private equity recruiters recruitment agencies:

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(Do you want to go “pro”? Check our more comprehensive investing and trading reading list).

BOOKS
• Stocks, Bonds, Options, Futures (Stuart R. Veale, New York Institute Of Finance)
• Inside the Yield Book (Sidney Homer and Martin Leibowitz)
• The New Market Wizards: Conversations with America’s Top Traders (Jack D. Schwager)
• Bond Markets : Analysis and Strategies (5th Edition) (Frank J. Fabozzi)
• Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (Edwin Lefevre, Foreword by Jack D. Schwager)
• Random Walk Down Wall Street (Burton G. Malkie )
• Security Analysis: The Classic 1940 Edition (Benjamin Graham, David Dodd)
• The Investor Anthology: Original Ideas from the Industry’s Greatest Minds (Charles D. Ellis)
• Memos from the Chairman (Greenberg, Alan C.)
• Fooled by Randomness (Nassim Taleb)
• Options, Futures & Other Derivatives (John Hull)
• Fixed Income Securities: Tools for Today’s Markets (Bruce Tuckman)

PERIODICALS
• The Wall Street Journal
• Barron’s
• The New York Times
• Institutional Investor Magazine

WEBSITES
• www.thestreet.com
• www.wsj.com
• www.bloomberg.com
• www.cboe.org – has a “Learning Center” and options tutorial.
• www.nyse.com – has several informative pages under the “Education” tab.
• www.nasdaq.com – offers a trading simulation.

The post Investment banking internship reading list appeared first on Equity-Research.com.

However, if you are looking for a new job, there is little to lose by contacting a few of them, and even if they cannot put you in front of any employers, they are often a good starting point to get your CV into shape.

This is a list of London’s top financial recruitment agencies sourced from -and recommended by- a mix of commentators and professionals working in the City.

* denotes those agencies that are NOT purely focused on ‘CITY’ recruiting alone, ie may also recruit into financial positions in industry.
[1] The Cornell Partnerhip & Graduate Solutions both mostly operate mass graduate recruitment campaigns on behalf of banking clients.
[2] Reputation for having more junior-level, generic finance roles
[3] Roles mostly more senior than entry level

The post Top financial recruitment agencies in London appeared first on Equity-Research.com.

1. Blackstone – $3.6bn (total compensation pot in 2011), $810,717 (average staff payout)

2. Greenhill & Co – $159.9m, $551,379

3. Deutsche Bank (investment bank only) – $8.07bn, $510,474

4. Lazard - $1.7bn, $501,415

5. Goldman Sachs – $15.4bn, $431,000

6. UBS Investment Bank – $6.95bn, $418,009

7. J.P. Morgan (investment bank only) – $9.7bn, $380,000

8. Credit Suisse (investment banking) – $297,944

9. Morgan Stanley - $16.0bn, $256,000

…

?. Royal Bank of Scotland Global Banking & Markets – Average bonus payout of $76,900

Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal

The post Investment banking compensation ranking appeared first on Equity-Research.com.

Please note that ‘How big is it?’ refers to the size of a company’s operations in London, not its operations globally.

Affiliated Managers Group

What is it? US-based asset management company and fund of funds with investments in equity-focused boutiques.

How big is it? Large, around 1,600 employees globally.

Agave Partners

What is it? Corporate finance and asset management firm specialised in the clean water and new energy sectors.

How big is it? Tiny.

Aksia Europe

What is it? US-based hedge fund research and advisory firm.

How big is it? Tiny.

Alpstar Capital

What is it? Swiss-based hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Asperatus Capital

What is it? UK-based hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Carousel Finance

What is it? Swiss-based asset management firm.

How big is it? Tiny.

China International Capital Corporation

What is it? Large Chinese investment bank

How big is it? Tiny.

CD&R

What is it? UK office of Clayton Dubilier & Rice, a large US private equity fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Corsair Capital

What is it? US private equity fund focused on the financial services industry.

How big is it? Tiny.

Dodge & Cox Worldwide Investments

What is it? San Francisco-based fund manager with new London subsidiary.

How big is it? Tiny.

Doran Capital Partners

What is it? Korean real estate fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Echelon Capital Partners

What is it? Property management and investment company.

How big is it? Tiny.

Encore Ventures

What is it? Fund of private equity funds.

How big is it? Tiny.

Farema Capital

What is it? Hedge fund run by industry veteran Emanuele Antonaci.

How big is it? Tiny.

Frog Capital

What is it? Venture Capital house.

How big is it? Tiny.

Gemini Investment Management

What is it? Fund manager set up by former Close Brother MD. Distributes third party funds, plans to launch own funds.

How big is it? Tiny.

Granular Investments

What is it? Structured credit advisor.

How big is it? Tiny.

Guggenheim Investment Advisors

What is it? US-based wealth manager

How big is it? Tiny.

Ipex Capital management

What is it? UK-based venture capital fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Kenmar Global Investment Management

What is it? US-based fund manager and hedge fund manager

How big is it? Tiny.

LD Capital

What is it? US-based fund manager manager

How big is it? Tiny.

LMR Partners

What is it? Asset manager.

How big is it? Tiny.

MSD Capital Europe

What is it? Investment firm managing the investments of Michael Dell.

How big is it? Tiny.

NewState Partners

What is it? UK-based corporate finance boutique.

How big is it? Tiny.

Oakley Capital Management

What is it? UK-based private equity fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Orchard Global Asset Management

What is it? Singapore-based hedge fund set up by Paul Horvath, Merrill’s former global head of synthetic credit origination, structuring and distribution.

How big is it? Tiny.

Qatalyst Partners

What is it? London-office of former Credit Suisse technology bank Frank Quattrone’s technology investment banking boutique.

How big is it? Tiny.

Ragnar Capital

What is it? Corporate finance boutique focused on the resources sector.

How big is it? Tiny.

Serone Capital Management

What is it? European multi-strategy hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Signia Wealth

What is it? Multi-client family office.

How big is it? Tiny.

Stark Investments

What is it? US-based hedge fund manager.

How big is it? Tiny.

Sunningdale Capital

What is it? London-based hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Townsend Group Europe

What is it? European office of US-based real estate investor.

How big is it? Tiny.

Touchstone Capital

What is it? New Zealand-based distressed debt hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

Trilogy Global Advisors

What is it? European multi-strategy hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny.

TJ Markets

What is it? US-based asset manager.

How big is it? Small.

Upside Wealth Management

What is it? The London office of a Swiss-based wealth management firm.

How big is it? Tiny.

Vision Investment Management Europe

What is it? The London office of a Hong Kong-based hedge fund.

How big is it? Tiny – the company as a whole employs around 30 people.

Are any of these firms right for you?

Q3 2010 – UPDATE

Adams Street Partners

What is it?: UK subsidiary of global private equity firm.
Current size?: London office still comparatively small, but part of large organisation.

Akur Partners

What is it?: Corporate finance and ECM advisory firm.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Altitude Partners

What is it?: Private equity firm focused on SME investments southern England.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Aperios Partners

What is it?: Boutique investment bank with a focus on the technology sector.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Best of Breed Capital

What is it?: Independent asset management boutique.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Bluefield Partners

What is it?: A European private equity fund manager focusing on solar energy infrastructure investments.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Brookfield Financial Europe

What is it?: The European subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, which focuses on property, renewable power and infrastructure. Brookfield Financial offers advisory and investment banking services to these sectors.
Current size?: Brookfield Financial employs 45 globally.

Cairn Financial Advisers

What is it?: Generalist corporate finance advisory firm.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Caisson Investment Management Partners

What is it?: Investment manager focusing on real estate and alternative investment markets.
Current size?: Small, but also has a Dutch operation.

Dalmore Capital

What is it?: Fund manager focusing on infrastructure sector.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Europa Capital

What is it?: Fund manager focusing on real estate.
Current size?: Employs 30 key people in London.

FQS Capital Partners

What is it?: Hedge fund manager taking a quantitative approach.
Current size?: Small – operational hub in London.

Gauss Investments

What is it?: Financial advisory firm focusing on global equity cash and derivative markets.
Current size?: Very small.

HCM UK

What is it?: Alternative investment manager.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Hermes GPE

What is it?: Private equity funds of funds manager – a joint venture between Gartmore Investment Management and Hermes Fund Managers.
Current size?: 28 employees based in London.

Inventive Capital Solutions

What is it?: Private equity firm focusing on life sciences, energy and TMT sectors.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Kilriver Capital

What is it?: Corporate finance and corporate development boutique.
Current size?: Small – staffed by a “small number of highly specialised individuals”.

Medici Advisers

What is it?: “Capital raising organisation” targeted at alternative investment managers.
Current size?: Very small

Metis Energy

What is it?: Financial advisory firm focused on the energy sector.
Current size?: Very small.

Navigant Capital Markets Advisers

What is it?: Boutique corporate finance advisory firm.
Current size?: Small, but subsidiary of Navigant Consulting.

Nean Wealth Advisors

What is it?: Wealth manager.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

New River Corporate Finance

What is it?: Corporate finance boutique focusing on energy and infrastructure, media and finance.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Northleaf Capital Partners

What is it?: Private equity fund manager and advisor hailing from Canada.
Current size?: Employs 40 investment professionals globally.

Notion Capital Partners

What is it?: Investment fund targeted at internet-based services sector.
Current size?: Small – run “by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs”.

Novusmodus

What is it?: Investment adviser to ESB Novusmodus, the investment fund of Irish utilities company ESB. Focuses on energy sector.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Pantheon Private Equity

What is it?: A long-standing private equity firm recently acquired by Affiliated Managers Group. Offices in London, Hong Kong, San Francisco and New York.
Current size?: 143 employees worldwide, 25 senior professionals in London.

Prospect Capital

What is it?: Corporate finance advisory firm for UK SMEs.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Querns Asset Managers

What is it?: Asset management boutique.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Roundstone Capital

What is it?: Real estate investment adviser.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

SCIO Capital

What is it?: Asset manager with structured credit approach.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

Trader Capital

What is it?: Absolute return advisory company.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation

Vector Commodity Management

What is it?: Hedge fund manager focusing on the oil market.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation

Vigilant Financial

What is it?: Wealth manager.
Current size?: Very small.

Vine Street Capital

What is it?: UK-focused private equity firm.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

XCAP

What is it?: New investment bank covering a variety of sectors.
Current size?: Employs 42 staff in London.

White Oak Advisory

What is it?: Financial advisory firm focused on sovereign finance and sovereign debt.
Current size?: Small – boutique operation.

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