S/T or Equity Research SA -> FT HF
Hey, I know we've still got a while before SA recruiting and the market is a mess right now, but I was wondering, if my goal is to get into a fundamental group such as DE Shaw (General Associate) or Bridgewater (Investment Associate) after college, what would be the best SA groups to apply to? (Yes I will also be applying to the SA positions available at the funds that have them)
Would being a SA at a BB (yes I know this will be tough to do again, but humor me) in S/T or Equity/Investment research be better? I think I've been biased by this board but S/T sounds the more prestigious ones (something that I think the funds would like), but then again S/T has been taking a pounding lately...
And if S/T, what desks would you recommend? How's something like FX trading?
Thx a ton, any other suggestions would be great too!
Best of luck everyone,
Paradoxical
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Best thing would be one of
Best thing would be one of the quant groups which is usually rolled into the Asset Management or IM arms of the banks.
Totally different animals
Equity Research and S&T are totally different animals, and while both will give you exit opportunities toward the buy-side, each will put you on a different path. For DE Shaw, based on what I know, the quant skills you'd pick up in trading would be much more beneficial than the analytical skills you would pick up from research. But then again, if you are specifically interested in honing your skills in fundamental research, then equity research is the way to go.
thx!
What are some of the quant groups/desks I would want to join in order to gain said skills? Are any of them better than others?
Is FX a quant subject? (sorry I know little about this). Anything very math related would be good as I very much enjoy maths, thx!
Thanks so much everyone,
Paradoxical
DE Shaw and Bridgewater both
DE Shaw and Bridgewater both employ a variety of strategies; while Shaw is reknowned for its quants, it also has a very solid fundamentals effort (I have a few good friends who are part of it - they're more bankers/researchers than traders).
Since you expressed an interest in math, I would encourage you to try for S&T or a research group that is focused on strategy, not broad-based overviews. Product-wise, you'll want to go for rates, FX, derivs, or structured products; credit and equity are more fundamental than anything, though the former has a good degree of low-level math.
If you are going to market yourself as a math-savy guy in front of Shaw, you'd better be a math/physics/comp sci major (preferable a combo of all 3).
A lot of my friends at Bridgewater have liberal arts backgrounds and seem to be more well-rounded