Is it OK to reach out to traders instead of investment professionals at a hedge fund if i'm looking for an investments role?

Just was curious, if I should reach out to traders as well as people in investment roles at HF's. Goal is something in investments and not trading but I have a better connection/more in common with people in trading (background wise).

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

They will probably look at your resume out of curiosity but unless you can "wow" them, they probably won't give a shit honestly. People send me their resume all the time for a junior trader role and I do look at them when times are slow and nothing about their resume stands out to me. Too many bullshit their resume, putting stuff like code academy - python, etc or having their own fund trading 5 grand, like it's so cheesy. If you put coding in your resume, I fucking promise you, I will get my developer and he will test you if you're bullshitting or not. I would be more impressed with an ops guy from a bank who performed well and just looking for a challenge and willing to learn on his own and from work.

 

I don't have anything exaggerated on my resume but also don't really have a wow factor, this is more for an internship from some of the smaller funds near me and not a FT role. The traders at this fund come from non-targets (at a non-target myself) while the investment professionals are from semi-targets/targets so I was curious if I could reach out to the traders and shoot for a investments role.

 

I work on the investment team at a small fund (large enough that we have a separate trading desk). If someone from our trading desk passed along a recommendation (not saying they would do so after someone reached out to them, but if they did), we'd look at the person the same way we would if they were recommended by someone on the investment team. Obviously senior personnel will have more sway than a junior trader, but the seniority is more relevant than the position.

Ultimately though, if you don't have the background we're looking for then it doesn't matter who you reach out to (maybe an exception for a mindblowing pitch in our field, but I haven't heard of it happening).

 

Similique minus laboriosam nam nesciunt nam. Odio ipsum pariatur consequuntur soluta libero est. Tempora magnam vitae pariatur fugiat nesciunt id cum. Non quis qui ut sed doloribus voluptatem est.

Aut deleniti voluptatem illo. Nobis laudantium non eum aut fugit incidunt vel at. Autem aut vel reiciendis id nemo neque id. Et sequi sapiente enim quia ut atque.

Omnis voluptate dolor ut facilis deleniti id quaerat. Earum aut voluptatem dolor officia aut minus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 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

July 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

July 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

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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”