General S&T Internship Preparation

Hi all,

Have a few questions about my upcoming S&T internship this summer at a BB.

About me: Coming from Ross, double majoring in Finance and Philosophy, and a minor in math. Have had about a year and a half's worth of experience developing a macro trading strategy on FX, Equities, and Commodities. Started becoming profitable in October 2018. Still a relatively small account and it's just my PA but point of this is that I've had experience trading, though not yet at a professional level.

My concern is that I don't quite know what desks would be a good fit. I know that FX Options is my top choice since it has the most ability to take prop views given the current regulation, but besides that I don't really know what else I'd want to do. Maybe industrial metals? My concern with this is that commodities trading seems to have fewer exit opps to macro funds and more to physical trading firms like Glencore, Cargill, and Trafigura (which has invited me to interview senior year and is also something I don't know if I'd want to do or should do). Besides those two, I don't really have much conviction about what other desk I'd want to do or would be a good fit for.

The obvious 3rd option seems to be some rates trading desk (options or swaps or something like that). But another thing I'm concerned about is that the requirement of "quantitative ability" for a rates desk or any other options trading desk seems rather vague. I'm pretty mathematically inclined and enjoy doing math, but it definitely seems like you have to have done a math major or some phD or something. Really how much math is it and what kind of person gets hired onto options and rates desks and what type of person eventually succeeds? How do you know if you make the cut for whatever level of mathematical ability these types of desks need? Or is that ability overhyped?

I know it's an internship and should take it as it comes, but given these concerns, what do you think about how I should be positioning myself ahead of the internship beginning in a few weeks.

Thanks