HF Prep Before Starting FT?

I begin working in equity research upon graduation this summer. I wanted your opinions on whether you think it's worth it for me to begin hedge fund prep now, before I begin working full-time. I feel like if I start now it'll motivate me to continue prepping during the first few years of FT work, and when hedge fund recruiting actually happens I'll have a solid foundation. If I begin prepping closer to when hedge fund recruiting begins, I feel like there'll be much more pressure due to time constraints + juggling work. My ultimate goal is to work for a hedge fund, of course, but I am also open to other buyside roles where I believe the material taught will still be relevant

In terms of prep, I was considering purchasing the WSO hedge fund guide. Would love to get your feedback on this course, and whether there are better/supplementary courses and materials out there

Why not study for CFA Level 1? I would rather wait until I begin work and see if my firm will pay for my materials + fees

5 Comments
 

Hey NotThatCreative, what a lonely thread. I'm here since nobody responded ...so maybe one of these discussions will help:

If we're lucky, maybe these professional users will respond: @gemma18" @profq32" Shoshana-Schimel

Fingers crossed that one of those helps you.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Aut sed id magnam facilis sapiente alias magnam. Nulla iste et voluptas laudantium. Est sit voluptatem ut voluptas eaque atque sunt fugiat. Dignissimos facilis aut error aspernatur unde accusantium.

Sed earum sint fugiat. Aut esse voluptatem et quo. Aut enim non velit eligendi in.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.0%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 94.9%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (11) $372
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $193
  • Analysts (235) $177
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (276) $95
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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”