Module IV· Interview EssentialsIntermediate
Question
Which books, podcasts, and resources do you recommend for preparing for the PE interview?
Answer
Top preparation resources for the PE interview
Books (essential)
- "Investment Banking" by Rosenbaum & Pearl: the LBO bible with a detailed model.
- "King of Capital" by Carey & Morris: the history of Blackstone.
- "Barbarians at the Gate": the RJR Nabisco LBO classic.
Podcasts
- "Dry Powder" (Hugh MacArthur, Bain Capital).
- "Capital Allocators" (Ted Seides): excellent for the LP/GP perspective.
Practical guides
- Wall Street Oasis PE Interview Guide.
- Breaking Into Wall Street LBO online courses.
Deep diveShow more details
Other recommended books
- "The New Tycoons" by Jason Kelly: a modern PE story.
- "Lessons from Private Equity Any Company Can Use": by a Bain Capital founder.
- "Dear Shareholder": Berkshire / Buffett, a mindset book.
Other podcasts
- "M&A Science" (Kison Patel).
- "The Memo" by Howard Marks (Oaktree).
Region-specific resources
- Local-language PE/M&A trade publications.
- Mergermarket for your region.
- Private Equity News Europe.
- National private-equity association reports.
- Preqin / PitchBook for market data.
News
Bloomberg, Reuters, the leading local business dailies, the PitchBook Daily newsletter.
Case practice
WSO LBO modeling tests; build your own models with current targets from Bloomberg / Mergermarket. AMT training materials for Excel skills.
Pitch tip
In the interview, mentioning a concrete book or podcast as inspiration — e.g. "On the Capital Allocators podcast there was an interesting discussion of the middle market..." — shows genuine interest and awareness. Avoid generic mentions without substance.