DE Shaw vs. Traditional HFs

Hi all,

I recently received an offer for Summer 2020 for a prop trading internship at DE Shaw. I have interviews at other firms (Jane Street, Bridgewater, Akuna, Citadel, etc.) but am fairly certain about accepting DE Shaw's offer. I'm wondering how the DE Shaw internship experience/exit opps compare to those of these other firms. Also, what desks are the best to work on at DE Shaw if I want something that's more qualitative than quant-y?

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Thanks! I'm planning on waiting for a week or two to go through with all the interviews I'd previously scheduled. From what I've heard about Shaw, their culture seems like something I'd enjoy working in and I like that I'd have a chance to do non-quant work in a tech-y atmosphere.

From what I've heard about Citadel's high turnover and ultra-competitive culture, I'm not sure whether that would be something I'd enjoy as a career.

In general, what are good ways to go about choosing a desk to work on? This would be my first experience at an HF, and I'm not sure how to decide which would be a good fit for me.

 

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