Breaking into S&T without formal Trading experience

I am currently a junior with a non ib internship at a BB this summer and had a previous internship at a smaller firm, both not related to sales and trading. I got really interested in S&T last summer but wasn't able to land anything. I was wondering what I should be doing to give myself the best chance at landing a FT role / if it's even possible given my lack of formal experience in trading?

4 Comments
 

Look out for campus networking events for the places you are interested to work for on LinkedIn

Reach out to ppl in school that worked at those shops

Email/bbg alumni vs only reaching out on LinkedIn

Understand different desks and how they all interact with each other (DCM works with Syndication that work with credit/rates etc) to get a sense of the broader business

Listen to as many podcasts that these shops produce. Many buy side funds also are getting into this

Overall, get as interested in the space as you can be and when the right opportunity presents you should be the most natural choice imo

Don’t say you paper trade or brag about your trading your PA in every interaction

 
Most Helpful

In FICC trading and can attest to one thing. Network, network, network.

Given the lack of experience, applying to positions online without anyone to pull your resume on the back end will be very tough. Although not impossible, applying to these positions has become increasingly more competitive and sometimes it comes down to sheer luck.

Become as knowledgeable as possible on a specific product/group and when you network show a genuine passion for what you claim you want to pursue. Positions open up and frankly you just need to be in the right place at the right time. The larger your network, the higher the possibility someone you know can refer you to a position you are after. Leverage your prior experience and have a good story for why you want to pivot. 

DefaultUser1
 

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