Recruiting for Junior SA IB, in order to get FT HF/AM

Realized pretty late into the recruiting process that I actually find a lot of the more complex/difficult/alpha-seeking work in HF/AM (or maybe even S&T), specifically with multi asset, alternatives, and credit, to be a lot more interesting than IB day-to-day. 

I realize there's probably fewer exit ops, and maybe pay (in AM) might be at a cut, but I'm starting to think actually enjoying your work is probably important. 

Haven't really networked at all in the HF/AM space and don't know if it's the same case as IB where you NEED to recruit for 2027 SA (right now) in order to get an FT offer.

In any case, what's the best path for me into one of these more interesting roles? 

For context, I have a 4.0 from a target, did a boutique merchant bank (some investing, some advisory) internship freshman summer, will be doing a regional boutique IB internship for 2026. 

1 Comments
 

Sint iste qui ea. Quaerat voluptas enim ratione totam tempora nesciunt magni. Quos adipisci id mollitia dolor.

Dolor dolores pariatur officia illo corrupti deserunt. Quos excepturi officiis quam labore distinctio pariatur dignissimos. Eveniet dignissimos animi accusamus consequatur facilis quisquam. Deserunt neque corporis et hic voluptas. Qui praesentium ad molestiae doloremque reprehenderit. Fuga omnis sit perferendis nostrum sit fuga quos.

Culpa quibusdam dolores quia nobis. Autem dolor est placeat commodi voluptatem aperiam. Harum veritatis neque sunt accusantium velit dolores rerum.

Aut saepe expedita quia. Quia qui sunt quidem sit fuga. Similique sed magni ipsum cum minus ducimus quos. Voluptatem delectus quia nobis earum quidem eius eveniet.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Hedge Fund

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 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

September 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

September 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 (234) $178
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”