Avoid these 6 pitfalls in VC interviews to increase your odds of moving to the next round

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #3 of VC Demystified🪄.

My name’s Nicole - I’m a Principal at an early stage venture fund, and I know firsthand that VC can often be a black box. Breaking into the industry may feel daunting and resources can seem scarce and inaccessible. I wanted to put together a newsletter to give others the playbook I wish I had when I first started.

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Today’s deep dive: The 6 common mistakes aspiring VCs make in VC interviews and how to avoid them

My personal mission is to open as many doors as possible for other people and this newsletter is just one avenue to do that. As always, I will continue to post VC insights daily across my socials for those of you who prefer those channels.

The 6 common mistakes aspiring VCs make in VC interviews and how to avoid them

Interviewing is hard.

Especially in VC where information is difficult to access & there doesn’t seem to be a clear guide on what to expect.

I’ve now had the chance to sit on both sides of the table - as the VC interviewee and as the VC interviewer. As a result, I’ve sat in 100+ interviews and I’ve seen the same mistakes made over and over.

So here I’m going to run through 6 common mistakes and exactly how to avoid them, giving you specific guidance on how to research and prepare the perfect responses.

The 6 common mistakes to avoid during a VC interview 👇

1️⃣ Failing to research the firm & its portfolio companies
2️⃣ Failing to highlight your relevant experience
3️⃣ Not fully understanding the role you’re interviewing for
4️⃣ Not having a solid answer to “why VC?”
5️⃣ Recommending investments that don’t fit the firm’s thesis
6️⃣ Not coming prepared with thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer

Now that you know the pitfalls, you are probably wondering how to avoid them?

Let’s get into it!

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