Positioning myself for macro/quant HFs

Hello,

I'm an MSc in applied math (thesis on speeding up the process of calculating option prices) in continental Europe at an academically very strong uni but not "target". I've recently done a very successful internship in data science at a "scale-up" where the CEO is trying his very best to convince me to work there. I truly love data science and have a pretty good feeling for the entire data science pipeline (data generation, storage, analysis, prediction).

However, ever since I was young I've also been fascinated by economics, politics, and history, and have read countless books on these subjects and try my very best to stay up to date on these topics. As a result, I've always dreamed of working at a global macro HF one day. I'm trying to figure out how to position myself as best as possible to get there (I have one finance internship if that matters).

My current plan is this: - do interviewing process for prop trading firms - if I fail and prop trading isn't really for me, I will try to get into a "target" university (London? Switzerland?) currently very worried about the whole Brexit saga (also been thinking about a role at the ECB) - after that I'll see where life takes me

My questions for those interested in giving me some advice: - What's the best country for macro HFs in EU? I'm fluent in 2/3 Swiss languages if that matters. - Do you think there is any demand for someone with a profile like me in the HF industry? If so, how would I best position myself towards getting a role at a macro HF?

Any advice appreciated, please keep in mind that I'm a European citizen.

Thanks

1 Comments
 

Aut aliquam minus quae qui. Consequatur sit esse adipisci voluptatibus cumque ut rerum. Deserunt et ipsam quas maiores rerum pariatur. Et eaque dolor inventore dolore voluptatum suscipit quas.

Velit enim facere deleniti voluptates explicabo. Id sit qui error possimus. Nulla error quos id et. Et et est accusantium. Itaque provident quia nostrum cupiditate.

Vel est corporis laudantium ducimus ipsam. Itaque temporibus ex quam corrupti dignissimos. Saepe magni dicta est dolore sed eos similique sed. Est voluptatem perspiciatis omnis dolore. Enim vitae dolores maiores perspiciatis repellendus sed. Et tempora ea aut voluptates ut debitis.

Expedita voluptatem perspiciatis enim possimus eaque aliquam impedit. Explicabo sapiente magnam aperiam dicta odio nulla tempora.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • Millennium Partners 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Blackstone Group 96.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.1%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.2%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.3%

Total Avg Compensation

June 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 (76) $192
  • Analysts (240) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (28) $146
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”