Employers
Venture capital firms are located throughout the United States and the world. Many U.S.-based firms are headquartered on the East Coast and in California. Many venture capital firms have fewer than 15 employees. Associates can also find work at corporations that have VC divisions, at the portfolio companies of venture capital firms, and in related industries such as private equity.
Starting Out
Venture capital firms are inundated with requests for interviews and information interviews. The time of venture capitalists is precious. If a VC firm lets it be known they have a single summer internship available, they can expect 300 resumes from people at the top 10 business schools. Now that you’re more aware of what you are up against, here’s a glint of hope—as a whole, venture capital firms are always hiring.
Your chance of landing a job greatly increases if you already have an MBA and have operational or deal-making experience in a related industry (e.g., private equity, investment banking). If you don’t, it helps to develop a strong professional network—ideally, with current associates or other in the industry, since many job leads are obtained through word of mouth and in-house referrals. To build your network, attend venture capital conferences, become active on LinkedIn, and volunteer with venture capital—or general business—organizations. One such organization is the VC Taskforce (http://www.vctaskforce.com), which provides networking and educational events—panels, workshops, conferences, and roundtable meetings—for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs seeking funding. According to its Web site, VC Taskforce is looking for volunteers with one or more of the following skills: writing and editing, public relations and marketing communications, event management, sales and business development, research and interviewing, social media, corporate relationship building, and program development and management. A six-month commitment is required.