Unsure about my capabilities. What should I aim for?
Hi all,
this may seem like a weird post, however I am seeking some general advice (anyone who has an opinion on this please answer) about how I should plan the next steps of my career.
To give some background, I'm studying Business and Computer Science in a French semi-target and have good academics. I have previous experience as an intern at a small quant hedge fund and a relatively big asset manager. I have participated in 2 spring weeks at BBs and have a return offer for one of them in S&T summer 2026. However, my main goal is to start at a quant / macro HF as soon as possible. I interviewed for one role and failed at the last round.
My question is, should I aim for a masters at Oxbrige (Computational Finance at Ox or Finance and Economics or Economics and Data Science at Cambridge)? Imagining I receive a FT offer from the BB summer internship, should I take it or apply to internships at the quant / macro hedge funds for summer 2027?
I passed the interviews at the HF quite well except for the last round, where I didn't answer a question that was relatively simple in hindsight. So I am now doubting whether I am educated enough to start at a HF with just a bachelor.
Really open to any feedback and / advice.
Cheers.
Brodie just take it slow and see how the internship goes
Thanks for the advice, but I like to have a plan at least for the next 2 years. Different approaches ig
But why worry about it now? I’m in a very similar position as you (S&T SA 2026 at BB with dreams of HF/Quant/STEM-focused masters). My take is, our future career ambitions will drastically change once we have actual experience in the industry (not the resume-builders that were required to get our foot in the door, but actual, tangible, nuanced knowledge of the financial markets). It’s the unique skill sets and wealth of knowledge/experience that enable individuals to get these $100M HF contracts anyway (not just passing an interview screening). Why don’t you see how good of a trader you can be before already setting sights on jumping into a slightly different sub-industry? Imo there’s no rush now that we’re in the 6-figure, comfortable salary range. Just focus on being the best intern you can be, and/or the investing genius you aspire to become later on. The job title doesn’t mean nearly as much as your innate skill.
Expedita eveniet ut placeat est eveniet sapiente. Sit fugiat qui quae ut laborum modi.
Iste possimus vel voluptatem placeat minus. Id eius doloremque et dolor qui dolores. Quidem autem placeat voluptatibus.
Minus illum qui et explicabo porro et est. Earum sed minus tenetur nam et atque vitae. Ut quae minima placeat in.
Labore molestiae aut possimus corrupti sit exercitationem. Saepe soluta fuga quaerat optio et harum. Accusantium numquam qui explicabo aut tenetur non.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...