Of the 3, I would put investment banking last. VC and PE are roughly equal.

An investment banker sounds exciting and glamorous but the fact is when you are starting out you are most likely a spreadsheet monkey. You work long hours preparing pitches and spreadsheets. The pay is good but you sure do have to earn it.

Between VC and PE, a lot depends on what you like personally. If you are into the cutting edge and intrigued by new technologies and changes in the world, VC is probably the most interesting.

If you want to be a deal maker, PE is probably the ideal route.

That said, VC and PE are “fun” careers. The hard part is you need to have a very good track record to crack into the top tier firms. An MBA from the top schools doesn’t hurt. Real operating experiences and successful records with real companies certainly help.