When is it too late to move to HF (London)

Hi everyone. Long story short - always saw myself as a private markets guy post-IB, but the more time I spent in banking and the more funds I worked with the less appealing it looks like to me + struggling to see the sustainability of returns going forward. On the other hand, I developed an interest in public markets, which seem to be a much more exciting space now that vol is back, have started doing some investing / research on the side, which I have really enjoyed. The problem is, I am about to hit my 3 year mark in banking this summer + definitely need more time to develop my story and interview prep so haven't started recruiting yet. The question is when do you think is the last opportunity to jump ship to a HF? Will I still get  inbounds during my 4th year as a banker? Appreciate any views / advice! As title implies, I am based in London.

6 Comments
 

Apologies, nothing to offer on OP's question. 

Assume you are working in publics in London? When would you say is the sweet spot to make a jump from IB to HF (going for the most competitive market neutral teams)? I currently work in a very competitive team that gets looks from the top shops and would greatly appreciate a timeline of reference, as I've noticed people in EMEA hopping around at rather disparate intervals compared to the US. Thanks!

 

Whenever you're ready to interview. The top market-neutral teams aren't going to respect an IB background with 3 years anymore than one with 18 months. 

It is also impossible to gauge what a top shop is in EMEA tbh.

I work in publics in London at one of the big 3 MMs, but I didn't do a sellside stint - i joined out of school

 

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