Can you move Akuna junior trader to Hedge Fund Analyst?

Hi everyone,

My cousin is a strategy consultant and he was made redundant due to Covid. As such, he is currently near the end of the interview process for a 'Junior Trader' role at Akuna Capital. 

He has developed a passion for the markets and wants to ultimately try and move into an L/S HF within their investment team. He hopes to grow overtime to become a PM.

He believes that getting a foot in the HF world, considering how hard it is to break in, would help him grow and move around in the future. 

I offered to post this on WSO so that he can seek guidance from experienced HF guys who might be able to provide valuable guidance.

"1. Is its possible to move from Akuna Capital (Options MM/Prop trading HF) to an MM HF Investment Analyst role? 

       - Is it possible to move from Options MM trader --> HF Investment Analyst

2. Does Akuna have a strong reputation on the street? I know its one of the new guys, but it seems to be doing really well from what I have read. I am interested in hearing from experienced professionals on whether Akuna might be a great first step on the ladder."

Thank you all in advance for your insight and feedback. I will pass these onto him so that he can make a more informed decision.

5 Comments
 

As an ex- strategy consultant, he has strong DD, modelling and financial analysis skills. 

Do you think, combining the technical skills he could potentially gain in this trading role + consulting skillset, would help overcome the lack of a pure play IB/PE track into an L/S HF?

Thanks for your help - if you can elaborate on other alternatives or why its not a good pathway, that would be amazing

 

If he wants to be a HF investment analyst, this is not the place to go. Akuna is a derivatives market maker and the skills he will develop there is extremely unique to that business. Most MMs I know stay at one firm or move around a few times within the industry. 

 
Most Helpful

Sit delectus qui maiores cumque aut expedita excepturi. Sed quos quaerat et ad. Vero fugiat voluptatem officiis saepe dolores dolorum tenetur voluptas. Qui odio molestias enim eos et.

Sed ut aut enim quasi autem sunt. Molestiae omnis quia libero. Perspiciatis earum eos in reiciendis deleniti et temporibus. Assumenda error quia maxime ea nisi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 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

June 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

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...”