I was just accepted to the Wharton MBA program for Fall 2016. I currently work in investment management, I'm a CFA and I'm contemplating a career change. I've been having a real "crisis of faith" about my current industry - nothing I do seems tangible anymore. Long-term I love the idea of working for a small private equity fund that invests for the long-term in good businesses with strong management teams. I want to be an equity owner while being able to participate in high level decision making. I'm not a banker so I don't have ANY deal experience... likely my Achilles heal for private equity recruiting. I am however very good at thinking like a long-term business owner and very good at analyzing a business from the bottom up. I may be just a little biased, but I feel like this is probably a harder skill to learn.
I know the students/advisors in the Wharton program will help me figure all of this out, but I would love some idea of where I stand before I start in the Fall. Is investment management to private equity something people have heard of? Would consulting at MBB make more sense first? I honestly have zero idea how I would be viewed by private equity guys or by the consultants. Thoughts?