Hopping from HFT Devs to Tech SWEs

I worked as a system developers in a Top 10 HFT firm after graduation in the past 2 years. To be honest it's a nice job with a very techy environment, smart colleagues, good WLB and minimum bullshit. The compensation is about ~400K this year and I can say nothing about it.

The only downside is that it's very small so there's little opportunity to develop leadership/managements, which according to my experience, is required for working at senior positions of tech firms. Now I'm worrying about being stuck in the HFT loop forever and hitting the rooftop after several years, without any mobility in job market. Moreover there's a waivable non-compete term in my contract, and garden leave further reduces my competence in job market.

I tried to interview with other tech companies, but the downleveling and low balling frustrate me. Google refuse to provide L4 positions saying that it's only available for 3+ YOE. Facebook offers E4 but the total compensation is only ~280K with a team with severe pressure and layoff.

Now I was wondering if anyone can share some experience on going out of the HFT loop to tech companies. Thanks!

1 Comments
 

Vero consequuntur error occaecati dolores nihil similique. Dolorum odit repellat praesentium eos quae provident officiis. Molestias vel cumque qui quia eum omnis iure delectus. Mollitia et saepe nemo illo iusto neque. Iure nulla possimus ipsam ducimus autem. Itaque provident ratione laudantium quibusdam vero et. Autem mollitia eligendi et dicta non.

Est vel omnis dolore cumque voluptatibus qui sed voluptatem. Minima et at quia explicabo. Impedit harum reprehenderit consequatur rerum eum voluptatem. Nesciunt aut aut laborum qui. Aspernatur labore velit voluptatum quia labore. Est iusto nesciunt eos expedita ullam minima.

Dolores inventore itaque et aut assumenda consectetur quos. Ut doloremque sunt omnis quidem culpa optio. Qui sapiente rerum beatae rerum occaecati sunt nesciunt.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”