How To Get Into VC

I’ve received many questions lately from college students and young professionals about how to break into venture capital as a career. The truth is, there is no right answer. In this post, I will talk about the “traditional” way, the way that I got into VC, and what I recommend to those who are looking to enter the industry.

1.The “Traditional” Way

People often say (and I was often told) that if you want to get into VC, you have to either start a successful company that gets acquired or go get an MBA (ideally from Harvard or Stanford), and then it’s easier to transition into VC. However, I say “traditional” in quotations because in my experience, this isn’t always the case and I don’t believe it’s the only way to enter the industry. I know many intelligent MBA students who struggle to get into the industry. I also know many successful VCs who did not start companies. I think in the 90s and early 2000s these were likely necessary requirements, but I firmly believe that nowadays there are various entryways.

2.My Way

I am one of those people who fell unexpectedly into the industry, which is actually more common than you would think. I started my career in corporate finance at GE, where I was in a rotational program involving regular moves around the globe throughout various GE businesses. I eventually landed at GE Ventures, where I helped incubate and operate a startup in the drone space. It was never my intention to work on a startup or to work at a venture fund. It was one of those “right place at the right time” kind of things, and it just felt right. Ultimately, because of that experience, I was able to land a role at Vitalize Venture Group, where I’ve now been for 2.5 years.

3.Advice

My advice is to do whatever you can to gain experience that will be particularly useful to a VC. For example, if your goal is to join a consumer-focused fund, then consider joining a consumer startup for a bit to learn the ins and outs of what it’s like to be on the operating side of a consumer startup. You don’t have to run the company, and you don’t necessarily have to stay there for long, but after this experience, you’ll have actual tangible value that you can bring to the VC firm. Alternatively, you could volunteer at a consumer-focused incubator or accelerator to learn more about the space and expand your network that way. In the end, it all comes down to two things — networking + adding value.

I hope you found this post helpful. Please leave any questions or comments below!