Breaking Into S&T As A Grad With No Summer?
Hi all,
I wanted to get your thoughts on my chances of breaking into Sales & Trading as a recent graduate in the uk, given that I don’t have any direct S&T internship experience. I applied for s&t internships for this summer but didn't pass the interviews. I am now applying for graduate roles.
Last summer, I interned in the Investment Banking Division at a small mid-cap investment bank. While I gained valuable exposure, I realised during the internship that I’m much more interested in the Sales & Trading side of the business.
Although I haven’t completed any formal S&T internships, I recently graduated with an Engineering degree from Oxford, and I have python and SQL skills. I also have done some work experience at a wealth manager that where I got to shadow a few execution desks where they buy/sell stocks on behalf of HNW clients, but my main role was in software development. The wealth manager is a subsidiary of an investment bank in London so I got to do a week shadowing traders on Equities and ETF desks.
Any advice or insight as to whether I have a shot would be really appreciated. Im unsure as to whether these spots will go to people who have full summer internships in s&t and i need to be realistic. It would also be useful to hear how to stand out without a formal s&t internship, if i were lucky enough to get a superday
Breaking into Sales & Trading (S&T) without a formal internship is challenging but not impossible, especially with your strong academic background and relevant skills. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s how you can position yourself effectively:
1. Leverage Your Engineering Degree and Technical Skills
2. Emphasize Relevant Experience
3. Network Aggressively
4. Target Emerging Markets or Niche Desks
5. Prepare for Superdays
6. Consider a Master’s in Financial Engineering
7. Be Persistent and Realistic
By combining your technical skills, networking efforts, and market knowledge, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for S&T roles. Good luck!
Sources: How to break into S&T as a graduate?, Advice Needed - Quant to S&T - How to sell my experience?, How to be a good S&T Intern, Conversation with an Equities Sales Trader
imperial msc financial engineering or msc finance, easy peasy
they offer a scheme (extended masters duration) where it works so that you have another opportunity to apply for a summer internship cycle before you graduate.
as a dual oxford/imperial student you’d walk into a summer, assuming you can hold yourself in an interview
this is good advice but theres no way i can afford this. do you know of any other avenues apart from this?
yes mate, apply to the firm and hope for the best. you're still at oxford at the end of the day
Engineering from Oxford makes u very viable for sellside quant positions/S&T even though you did not have a direct S&T SA. You would at least get a trading support role at a fairly well established MM unless you completely bomb the interviews. Or try risk/any market related MOs at BBs and move up from those u should be fearless u r fking in Oxford Eng mate
You have basically no shot at S&T directly. The advice regarding MO roles is sound, quant, risk etc are all pretty good.
would I have a shot if i networked and got director/ md recommendations to the firm? or would you say thats still a hard no
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