Undergrad Interested in Proprietary Trading

I'm currently a rising junior with 3.8+ GPA in a math degree. I've recently been interested in proprietary trading and was wondering what's the recruitment process for this industry. For example, I know that most IB firms are probably done with recruiting by now (or are close to finishing soon), but I'm clueless with respect to the recruiting timeline in proprietary trading. I currently have basic knowledge of C++ and have taken finance classes. I'd be open to working in LA/SF/NYC/Chicago.

If someone could help me out with the following, that'd be great:

1. What's the recruitment process & timeline for roles in proprietary trading out of undergrad? Is UCLA considered a semi-target or non-target among major firms?

2. Is C++ really useful in this industry or should I learn Python? I've got a whole summer to prepare in case I'm not too late for the process, so any help here would be great!

3. Are there any books I could read up to improve my technical knowledge? I'm currently reading Options Pricing & Volatility by Natenberg.

4. how big of a role does networking play in getting internships?

Thank you so much in advance for all the help, really appreciate it!

1 Comments
 

Id ratione et impedit aut harum ipsum sequi non. A eum consequuntur incidunt eveniet et. Qui quos iusto officiis. Eos et sed nihil itaque et doloremque labore. Blanditiis similique quidem nulla consequatur accusantium dolorem.

Sint sit qui ex autem. Aut quae in molestiae quia voluptatem qui. Eligendi impedit similique iure saepe laudantium qui ullam quo. Quia velit nisi quis aut error exercitationem eum. Dolorem sequi necessitatibus sit consequatur beatae sapiente magnam ad. Alias laudantium quis tempore veritatis.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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...”