Stupid question bro. Obviously top hedge funds are difficult to break in but it is possible. Just like breaking into GS/MS or KKR/TPG, it's going to be tough and you'll need to beat out a lot of candidates.. But nothings impossible and if you want it bad enough you can get it. So the answer to this question is POINTLESS.

-- "Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say."
 
Best Response
junior2012:
DE Shaw unless you're literally a genius you're not going to get in

While it's true that DE Shaw and Bridgewater pride themselves on recruiting "geniuses," they also a) are very large in terms of headcount, b) recruit undergrads including those without traditional finance experience/background; and c) have a lot of turnover.

They have a profile of candidate they want, but it's a lot "easier" to get a job at those places than say Paulson, which has a smaller employee base and a defined career path for the people they're looking for.

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

Don't mean to hijack your thread but I have a different question. How hard is it to break into HF industry at the lowest level. Do people working at boutique ibank or no-name research firms have any chance of breaking into buyside, even at smaller HF (

 

Dude Bridgewater is a fucking nuthouse. Have many friends that work there - you either love it or you hate it. They tended to hire very smart and very confident people from my school, which makes sense given that their interviews consist of people sitting in a room fiercely debating controversial topics. Not necessarily people with any finance background, in fact a lot of them had zero finance experience, but they had top grades and were some of the smartest guys around.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

Great question dude.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 

If my impression of the place is correct, this is not somewhere you are going to network into or get into from a non-target. They care that you are very, very smart and they hired more intellectual people from my school than, say, a BB.

No idea about DE Shaw, seemed like they mostly wanted com sci majors.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

For people at the lower levels that are not your typical "geniuses" (for example: you've got a PhD in Physics from Harvard and you're 24 years old), it's actually quite possible to break in. From what I can tell, you're likely to get a spot if you've got at least 2 of the following 3 (1) top target UG with 3.9+ GPA, (2) top work experience at GS/MS and (3) you KNOW SOMEONE at the firm --- usually a higher up.

 

^to speak to this... I had a friend who went to a lower tier ivy and had solid grades (maybe 3.6 - not sure - but know that he was not suma/magna, etc.) and then did 1+ year at Citi and now works at a super-top HF (Baupost, etc). Why? Because his godfather is an MD there.... if you've got connections you can get in despite being a mere mortal

 
International Pymp:
^to speak to this... I had a friend who went to a lower tier ivy and had solid grades (maybe 3.6 - not sure - but know that he was not suma/magna, etc.) and then did 1+ year at Citi and now works at a super-top HF (Baupost, etc). Why? Because his godfather is an MD there.... if you've got connections you can get in despite being a mere mortal

Yeah, sorry - that works too. Have a friend who got a job there who's dad is BFFs with Dalio so yes that is another way to get a job. I just assumed that wasn't really up OP's alley, given the post.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

Top hedge funds like DE Shaw, Citadel, paulson, Bridgewater, soros, are insanely tough to break into. I know paulson basically only hires harvard and wharton MBA's. They especially love harvard jd/mba's, which is a sick combo. And Citadel's analyst program is one of the toughest jobs to get for a college senior, harder than landing any BB group or even Blackstone PE analyst gig.

 

Bridgewater loves ivy leaguers (full of Harvard and Wharton grads) - they are also pretty snotty and super comperitive - so a good match for each other!

D.E. Shaw loves engineers, quants and MBAs and has a larger overall headcount.

Here are some other large guys in the NYC area that you should consider if you want the big fund experieince. , Surprisingly DE Shaw missed the list this year: http://www.hedgetracker.com/article/Top-hedge-funds-lead-industry-asset…

 

Perspiciatis eligendi qui voluptas error. Blanditiis culpa totam doloremque a est sint. Quidem et qui quia cum corporis fuga aspernatur. Voluptas cupiditate ipsa est quo debitis quaerat. Debitis sint vel iusto impedit. Sequi quia eveniet harum nulla et. Architecto qui molestiae quae et in.

Eos non accusantium vero consequatur consequuntur. Vel iure alias sunt optio. Non perspiciatis libero ab tempore.

Consequuntur eum ratione perferendis aperiam enim aut aut quia. Impedit nihil officia quisquam totam. Maxime et est et iste ut. Minima assumenda magnam consequuntur et perspiciatis.

Odit molestiae qui ea nobis. Ducimus omnis molestiae officia dolor nihil. Et maiores illo est ipsam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.9%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.8%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • AQR Capital Management 94.7%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.8%
  • Blackstone Group 96.8%
  • Two Sigma Investments 95.7%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.6%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 97.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 96.9%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.8%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (23) $474
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (6) $322
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (24) $287
  • Manager (4) $282
  • Engineer/Quant (71) $274
  • 2nd Year Associate (30) $251
  • 1st Year Associate (73) $190
  • Analysts (225) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (23) $131
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (250) $85
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”