GS Operations role, should I take it if I want to be a trader?!

Question

Dear Fellow WSO Members,

A 3rd party recruiter reached out to me for an Operations role(Trading Operations) at Goldman Sachs. It is a contractual role for 9 months, thus no benefits and etc. From my networking, GS is probably the hardest to transition from a MO role to a FO role, given that the trade support people are not even in proximity with the traders. Therefore, the interaction with traders are slim to none. What's your take on that?

Anyways, I told the recruiter to put me for an interview. I have no intention of accepting the offer even if I receive one.

UFOinsider · Accepted Answer

Some options, in no particular order, with additional paths available if you're an opportunist:

GS Ops -> small operational consulting firm -> big4 advisory

GS Ops -> full time -> top 30 MBA

GS Ops -> mid/small bank ops -> mid/small bank FO

GS Ops -> boutique FO

GS Ops -> lateral to Ops at competitor (JPM, Citi, DB, etc) -> network your ass off -> ???

Obviously if you can get FO, just do it, but the reality is that GS's name on your resume will help land other roles

faceslappingcompilation · Answer

i wasn't aware that you had other offers for FT ops roles.  In that case, i would suggest you take one of those...and then still keep looking for a better job.  After working ops for 6 months, you will have learned just about everything you will want to learn about ops (yes, of course you won't have learned EVERYTHING about ops....but you'll learn most of it).  I would suggest you try to get into ops for a product that you want to trade.

faceslappingcompilation · Answer

GS operations is much better than no job.  Think of it like a 9 month paid interview. You will be in a good position to lateral to elsewhere in the bank for entry level roles (probably not front office, but back and middle office is a big organization).

However, don't let that dissuade you.  Take the job, and then keep looking for jobs elsewhere.  Its not like you already have a history of value to offer anyway.  Once you are working at GS, you have the name on your resume, which will be a great spring board to better entry jobs at other firms.

jl5388047 · Answer

I saw it in that light too. But I have already turned down a decent amount of offers for operations role at other banks. And those roles are permanent while the one at GS is a contractor role. Meaning no benefits and I am not under GS, but rather a staffing agency.

I will go through the interview as it is well aligned with my interview at MS next week. And of course, I am taking a huge risk for being selective when it comes to job selection. In the meantime, I am still able to generate consistent income from trading for my living expenses and etc.

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GS Operations role, should I take it if I want to be a trader?!

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GS Operations role, should I take it if I want to be a trader?!

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