How to get interviews at top quant hedge funds

What's the best way to get interviews at top quant hedge funds for someone with 5 years of experience? Should I actively avoid applying online and emailing so that head hunters can get paid for submitting my profile? I don't have any friends or contacts at top tier quant hedge funds. I'm not able to run my own strategy or anything like that so I'm probably looking for a relatively junior role.

I'm currently making mid six figures as a quant at a middle of the road prop shop. Headhunters have been able to get me interviews at even more middle of the road prop shops and not much else. I'm not sure if I'm talking to the wrong headhunters or if I need to just apply online/by email or if my work experience just sucks.

I'm really worried that my window of opportunity is closing as I get older unless it's already too late.

5 Comments
 

I think you are looking at it wrong. Every top tier quant fund was a middle of the road fund ten years ago.

Besides I here they are all walled silos now.

Best idea is to work with the people you find smart and hungry. Maybe it’s the next top tier fund.

 

The environment for current middle of the road funds is much worse today that it was 10-20 years ago. The largest funds have amassed incredible economies of scale for mining alpha and have locked up all the good clients. I think OP is right to be looking around. Aside from a few exceptions, most "smart and hungry" people are either trying to be one of the people running the top quant funds, or are working in other industries.

 

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