Thoughts on starting out at a smaller L/S firm

Basically what the title says. I know its less than ideal, but how is the market for starting out at a smaller hedge fund in hopes of eventually landing a seat at a big L/S fund? Say maybe 1-2 years out of undergrad, would it be possible to land either of P72, Cit., Mil., etc.? Or even second tier MMs?

1 Comments
 

Commodi in necessitatibus quisquam blanditiis accusamus rem consequuntur. Ipsum et et ab voluptatum. Qui optio nobis facere sit commodi et enim. Quae quis et harum placeat ipsam. Repudiandae et dolores delectus ad in. Tempora ullam ipsa consequatur consequatur iure aut voluptas.

Quasi est voluptatem rem aperiam exercitationem alias. In impedit iusto minima consequatur voluptas officia minima. Ipsa quia eum occaecati.

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

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...”