A career in fundamental research (L/S strategy)

I am an international and a rising sophomore trying to recruit for IB roles from a low semi target. I came across fundamental research roles at HFs and read quite a bit some people's experiences and about day-to-day tasks people in this industry and think it's something I want to do one day. How can I best position myself as a sophomore for this role right out of undergrad? Should I try to learn more about investing by just reading books or should I network simultaneously as I prep for IB? I'm targeting single PM HFs but I might be limited as an international

Any insights from people that have gone through the process would be really helpful

199 WSO Academy Hedge Fund Session Reviews: 4.77/5

Class of '29 Sep 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Hedge Fund LinkedIn Review

“My meeting with Kevin Lee was super helpful and went well beyond what I originally expected. We met to discuss my LinkedIn profile, but the conversation also covered the hedge fund space and how I’m thinking about my career as a whole. I really appreciated being able to talk about both how I present myself professionally and the broader direction I want to take. As someone interested in hedge funds but also exploring other paths in finance, it was helpful to have a conversation that connected my profile to my actual interests and goals. Kevin gave me a lot to think about, and I left feeling clearer about my next steps. Overall, I really appreciated his time and willingness to go beyond the original purpose of our meeting.”

Class of '26 Sep 2026 Cohort

4.56/5

Hedge Fund Mock Interview

“He was very responsive and prepared for the meeting. He actually read the JD, resume, and looked up linkedin which sometimes other mentors doesn't actually go over those to prepare things beforehand. I appreciate his direct comments I think it saved time and actually helped me to know exactly where to improve. I also appreciated him admitting if he doesn't know about specific HF strategy. Only thing I'd suggest for him is probably sending actionable key takeaways after the meeting because other mentors did and that was very helpful. ”

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+28	James Fishback	10	6h
+21	Future of L/S	5	3d
+12	Looking for Fund to Partner With - LMM Activist	4	1d
+10	SM L/S Compensation?	3	1d
+9	Moving from credit to equity?	3	5d
+9	MMHF Central Execution Trajectory/Advice	1	2d
+9	How to prep for credit HF?	4	1d
+4	Jensen Huang	1	18h
+3	Chefs at Pod Shops	2	3d
+1	The best cover letter for L/S	2	4d

1	redever	99.2
2	Secyh62	99.0
3	BankonBanking	99.0
4	kanon	99.0
5	dosk17	98.9
6	Betsy Massar	98.9
7	GameTheory	98.9
8	CompBanker	98.9
9	DrApeman	98.9
10	bolo up	98.8

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A career in fundamental research (L/S strategy)

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Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

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A career in fundamental research (L/S strategy)

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