Boutique Trading or BB Ops

I have an opportunity for a paid ops position at a BB or an unpaid trading position at a small, not very well known broker dealer with around 20 traders. I don't want to do anything other than and want to know which will help me move to a FT trading position at a BB. The boutique doesn't seem to hire new graduates and most of the people there have years of experience. Should i take the ops position n network in the bank or the trading position for the trading experience on my resume?

15 Comments
 

OP's is all but a death toll. Go to the small boutique and get the real experience unless you can't afford going unpaid.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt
 

do you have any suggestions on how to use that experience to get into a BB for full time. Should I just spend the as much time as i can while im there trying to network with as much people as i can outside of the firm?

 

Im a junior at a non target. I dont want to be permanently stuck in ops n i was unable to secure a trading position at a BB. would i be better off trying to network with the traders at my ops position in order to move to trading for FT.

 

Tough call. I personally think Ops is the better idea because, as you said, you can network within the firm to try and get a FT offer on the trading side. That being said, someone might argue that getting experience on a trading desk and then trying to network using alumni/people you know/etc. to still try and get that FT offer could be a better route.

Experience on a desk is big, but if you are already at a BB then how hard would it be to lateral over to S&T?

Hopefully someone with more experience in the trading world can respond.

 
Best Response
KohoTough call. I personally think Ops is the better idea because, as you said, you can network within the firm to try and get a FT offer on the trading side. That being said, someone might argue that getting experience on a trading desk and then trying to network using alumni/people you know/etc. to still try and get that FT offer could be a better route.

Experience on a desk is big, but if you are already at a BB then how hard would it be to lateral over to S&T?

Hopefully someone with more experience in the trading world can respond.

Not a chance. Going from OP's at a BB to trading is really hard to do. It's not impossible, but it is extremely tough because you come in with a giant ding. You are going to get labeled an OP's guy. Like I said, death toll. Maybe you'll be "resurrected" and make the move into trading, but likely you're going to stay buried.

Just because you work at a boutique doesn't mean that you wont get looked at by a BB if you want to move to their S/T later, especially if you have relevant experience at the boutique. You're life though, you do what you think is best.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt
 

Most ppl on these boards n people iv spoken with say that making the Leap from ops to trading is extremely difficult so I'm not sure the ops will help me advance

 
UFOinsiderboutique FO -> BB FO is easier than BB BO -> BB FO

That's how it is. Choose one.

This.

I would simply add "incredibly" in between the "is" and the "easier".

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt
 
Something Creative
UFOinsiderboutique FO -> BB FO is easier than BB BO -> BB FO

That's how it is. Choose one.

This.

I would simply add "incredibly" in between the "is" and the "easier".

It depends: if you are doing direct support, then your chances go up. If you're in a settlements group, you are FUCKED.....but it's still possible
Get busy living
 

At the boutique id be working directly with traders, sitting with them as they trade, things like that. At the BB id be working at ops for their wealth management division working on their expansion into new markets. Right now im leading towards the boutique.

 

Is this an internship? If so, you could also network within the BB for FO internships for next year. It depens on what you want.

What do you want?

Get busy living
 

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