FT S&T generalist - How to play the placement game?

Hi guys,

I was hired as a FT analyst in sales and trading at a large investment bank in NYC. As a FT hire, I didn't get the chance to intern at the firm and was taken in as a generalist. Through my past internships, I have gotten to know that my strengths a better suited for trading and I'm seeking to be placed on a more analytical/technical desk such as Mortgages, Rates products, Distressed debt, etc..

Does anyone have suggestions on how to navigate the generalist placement process. I feel like I have a good chance with this one team (the head of which hired me from the super day) but what is the best way to seal the deal? Should I be upfront and express my interest with that team or play the game a bit and talk to different desks to get them interested in me?

Any suggestions would be helpful, Thanks!

277 WSO Academy Sales & Trading Session Reviews: 4.86/5

Class of '28 Aug 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Sales & Trading Career Roadmap (optional)

“John listened before giving advice. I told him I had accepted an offer at Bank of America but was still interested in JLL and Wellington. Instead of telling me what to do, he asked what I wanted from my career and helped me think about which path would give me more options. I also liked that he was honest about what he knew and didn’t know. He gave me a clear reason to keep working toward JLL, while reminding me that Bank of America was still a good place to start. When I practiced my interview answer, he told me what worked and gave me one simple way to improve it. That made the feedback easy to use. Most of all, John made me feel less stressed about figuring everything out right now. He offered to help with a mock interview too, which meant a lot to me. ”

Class of '28 Apr 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Sales & Trading Mock Interview

“The mentor provided extremely detailed and thoughtful feedback throughout our session. What I appreciated most was that the advice was not generic. He took the time to understand my background, past experiences, and the specific roles I am currently recruiting for, and then tailored his suggestions accordingly. He also connected many of his recommendations to his own professional background and experiences, which made the feedback much more practical and credible. Instead of simply telling me what to change, he explained why certain answers or approaches would be more effective and how an interviewer might interpret them. He also shared specific examples from his own experience to illustrate his points. I came away from the session with a much clearer understanding of both my strengths and the areas I should improve, as well as several concrete ways to strengthen my interview preparation. Overall, the session was extremely helpful, personalized, and actionable, and I would definitely work with him again.”

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2 Comments

ntgsnt

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12y

I am in a very similar situation and would also be interested in hearings peoples thoughts.

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CreditAnalyst85

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12y

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FT S&T generalist - How to play the placement game?

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FT S&T generalist - How to play the placement game?

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