GS Desk Strategist SA or Low Tier BB S&T

Although I already verbally accepted an offer for a low tier BB sales and trading position, I recently got an email requesting an interview for Goldman Desk Strategist. From my understanding, the position sounds like a heavy quant MFE type role. Do you think I should renege on my offer and pursue this position? Which would lead to better ops to either get a top BB FT position in either IBD or Securities?

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Best Response

Depends on what desk you'd be working with-some of the desk strategists we work with are basically research analysts like any other equity or debt researcher (for example cash HY/distressed loans and cash CDOs) where others are much more quantitative (CDS tranche strategists, for example, or someone in rates/forex which isn't our focus).

In my experience desk strategists are basically the same as any other research group, just on the same side of the Chinese wall as the sales and trading operation, so the quant-element is depends on the desk/product. I suppose this could be totally different for prop trading, and my experience only extends to the desk analysts I've dealt with so I can't claim to know the whole spectrum.

I have to think that desk strategist at GS is better than generic S&T at a lower-tier bank, though-my 2 cents.

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I love S&T, but I still would choose GS strategist position. Not because of the brand name. First as a SA, you won't be trading anyway. Strategists spend all their time about trading ideas, from what I understand. You can learn a lot from ppl in GS... The experience should be valuable for your future trading career. Just my two cents...

 
GekkotheGreatI love S&T, but I still would choose GS strategist position. Not because of the brand name. First as a SA, you won't be trading anyway. Strategists spend all their time about trading ideas, from what I understand. You can learn a lot from ppl in GS... The experience should be valuable for your future trading career. Just my two cents...

Except for the fact that if you want to do Sales and Trading then you will need to network to get on an S&T desk at GS or at another shop. Whereas interning on a trading desk gives you the option of getting hired on to that desk.

 

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