how does prop trading work at a large firm/bank?

hey everyone, look probably gonna get roasted the for this but i’m genuinely interested and curious in how it works.

i’m 16 and although it seems as though it is in decline i’m still interested in how trading works on a professional level.

i couldn’t find any similar questions elsewhere and figured this would be the place to get real world answers. i just some questions;

  • What are the hours like? Much compared to IB?

  • Are there many exit opps to HF or is that a thing of the past?

  • How much of a decline are we talking in trading per year?

  • How do the traders develop their own strategies?

  • Is FA or TA used? Both?

any response would be appreciated, thank you

2 Comments
 
Bill Stern
  • What are the hours like? Much compared to IB?   (7am-6pm  mon-fri)

  • Are there many exit opps to HF or is that a thing of the past? (if you are good, after 5+ years you can usually goto a hedge fund...but only if you are good)

  • How much of a decline are we talking in trading per year?  (no way to measure...OTC and less liquid markets (FX, rates, swaptions and structuring) still have plenty of opportunity)

  • How do the traders develop their own strategies? (time and experience, experimentation, study, pattern recognition)

  • Is FA or TA used? Both?  Both

any response would be appreciated, thank you

just google it...you're welcome
 

Ea quia accusantium repudiandae atque ea commodi. Eos dolores enim qui voluptatem ex libero. Quae sapiente sequi repudiandae facere. Necessitatibus occaecati commodi occaecati.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”