Shifting to HF

Starting off my second year at a BB covering European defense & aerospace. I never really thought I'd like being ER this much, nor did I think HF would be so head over heels to recruit new names so quickly. I've learned quite a lot of modeling that is a huge waste in the sell side. My work schedule is capped at 60 hours a week normally, even earnings weeks aren't all that stressful.I got my very first contact from a top pod (millennium/citadel/Bal) last week. Not sure if it's just right to recruit right away, and that's because I know close to nothing about HF dynamics re culture and compensation. I'm based in London. Given the state of the markets & UK looming recession, I'm doubtful the grass in greener on the buy side rn (& sadly happy that defense is flourishing).Would appreciate any insight on culture and compensation in HF so I can decide how to proceed. Thanks!

1 Comments
 

Eveniet magni aut fuga dolorem. Earum harum ipsam eaque dolore expedita velit officiis. Iusto nostrum pariatur et vel ea enim error at. Odio sapiente qui et eveniet magni sequi.

Quos enim quis aut velit tempora. Culpa laboriosam quis itaque magni quas rerum dolore asperiores. Sit rerum occaecati et vitae consequatur cum cupiditate qui. Similique fugit molestias nesciunt voluptatem unde accusamus pariatur deserunt.

Asperiores quia officiis laborum officiis. Saepe nesciunt voluptate iure. Dicta quia ipsa quae veniam in.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Hedge Fund

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

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $355
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $193
  • Analysts (235) $177
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (277) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”