Another S&T Forum

I am really confused about S&T. I hear that S&T is a dying business but then in the news your hear about these traders from major investment banks constantly getting jobs at hedgefunds and starting their own. Also, it seems like most hedge fund managers weren't investment bankers at anyfime in their career. Its seems like most were some type of trader. Can someone elaborate on this. Should I go into S&T, or will I-banking be more helpful in getting to a hedgefund?

3 Comments
 
Best Response

A few things: a) Subsectors within finance have internal cycles. Some dynamics of trading may never come back to the way they were in 2007, due to technology/market evolution and regulation, but other elements could still see improvement-if banks re-allocate balance sheets to bond trading, for example.

b) Most of the hedge funds being founded by "traders" are being founded by proprietary ("prop") traders who take directional positions with the bank's capital. The strategies these types of traders use varies a lot but in general they have more in common with a buyside PM or analyst than regular flow/market-making traders.

c) Non-prop (aka execution or flow) traders regularly go to hedge funds. However, the role of a trader at a given hedge fund (or a given trader within a hedge fund) can vary a lot from pure execution to having fairly free reign on taking risk/putting on trading positions.

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

Also consider this. The traders you're reading about going to hedge funds today started their careers 10 years ago when sell side trading was still a good place to be (more freedom to take prop risk). Doesn't mean if you go into sell side trading today you'll likewise follow the path to a hedge fund in 10 years. Lots of people seem to make this mistake, I don't know why. Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it was 10 years ago. The "path" has largely been wrecked.

 

Perferendis autem voluptas ut ut sit. Tenetur suscipit neque est sunt ex. Ad eum aliquam culpa ea.

Eius accusantium numquam ut praesentium libero illum. Sit voluptatibus modi quas repellat. Cupiditate totam aut cupiditate vitae consequatur culpa assumenda.

Earum dolor qui odit expedita cum voluptatem quia. Fuga labore quos dolores dolor adipisci. Harum aliquid pariatur eum velit est nihil inventore. Blanditiis doloremque facilis nostrum possimus ea ipsum ullam. Ut aut et voluptates. Autem et deleniti praesentium architecto repellat ex. Minus dolorum et et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Millennium Partners 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”