If you’re interested in working for a private equity backed company at a senior level, now may be a better time than ever to pursue that dream.

The UK private equity market experienced its busiest period in five years during the third quarter. In total, there were 107 buyouts between July and September compared to 79 in the same period last year. The third quarter, then, ranks as the busiest since the second quarter of 2009.

So, as firms are beginning to recover from the damage inflicted by financial crisis, the industry will be looking to invest again – and this means that strong leaders need to be available and ideally available very quickly.

But what are firms looking for?

Snapchat, the popular instant messaging app, has reportedly been valued at a whopping $10bn (£6bn) by one of Silicon Valley's most established investment firms, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Buyers.

The app, which allows users to send each other photos which then auto-delete themselves after a few seconds, has grown from two American students' bedroom project to one of the most successful tech start-ups in the world.

And, since reportedly rejecting a $3bn takeover bid from Facebook earlier this year, the figure will certainly come as welcome news to Snapchat's founders.