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Venture Capital Associates

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

Most associates have two or more years of experience in management consulting, investment banking, or private equity—ideally in acquisition due diligence or deal making. A small percentage of associates are hired straight out of college, but have internship or co-op experience at a venture capital, private equity, investment banking, or financial consulting firm.

To be a successful associate, you need excellent communication and interpersonal skills—and a high degree of self-confidence—because you’ll need to constantly be reaching out to source deals, interact with your colleagues and managers, and work with the management of portfolio companies. Other important traits include project management, organizational, and analytical skills; a strong work ethic; the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks at one time; and familiarity with financial statements and data.