It appears based on the background of the VCs currently, you need to build a product/business, grow it, sell or do an IPO (returning a tidy profit to the VCs that funded you), and then join a firm after 'retiring.'
The comments here make it seem like being an employee at a VC is super elite, and either requires a deep rolodex or deep pockets. While, I've thought about breaking from technology and business into the VC game, it seems like being a trader in NY would be more prestigious and probably way more lucrative in terms of compensation. Maybe I've just watch The Wolf Of Wall Street too many times.
Getting a first job as a VC analyst is pretty achievable.
It is pretty much a 3 years and out kinda job so any VC firm that has an analyst who's been there 2+ years will be hiring soon.<p>Typical background: Major in business/finance, or CS/engineering; whichever side you don't do, get some exposure to the other side - teach yourself to code or take an accounting basics class.<p>Get involved in the local startup ecosystem - volunteer at a demo day or a local tedx event, intern at a startup, something like that. Get to know a lot of people in this world. Maybe write a couple blog posts with insights about some upcoming markets.<p>Generally, you want to show that you get both tech and business pretty well, and also seem like someone who's eager to work hard to prove themselves and that lots of people seem to know.
Be well networked. With the understanding that your network isn't the list of people you know, but rather the list of people you've made at least $10M for.