Route to a macro PM, Sell side trader or HF strat out of undergrad

Curious if taking a top risk taking seat at a bank in London ( FX Options / Exotics), bank is top 3 in terms of risk culture ( from my understanding). Or going down the HF analyst route and doing strat work for them is a better route.

I thought there's merit in both understanding how these top HF guys think day in day out.

But on the flip side taking sizable risk early on a desk which makes most of its money doing prop / macro trades anyway for 5/6 years and then moving into the buyside as a PM is a better strategy, vs staying under someone for a long time before taking your own risk.

2 Comments
 

Trader. Making it to PM means you're a risk taker. As a strat, you won't take risk. As a trader, once you have a book you'll take risk. The biggest reason traders make it to PM is because they know how to take risk and how to take positions and such. A strat might have all the best tools for the job, but unless you're actually taking positions and risk, the HF likely won't trust you with a book. 

 

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