6 Comments
 

It sounds like you just want a job that has trading in the title? It is very competitive across the board and which is 'easiest' will depend on your background as they are each different paths.

Edit:

From a prop firm:

"This is an ideal environment for talented individuals to excel and reap the rewards of their exceptional performance. A minimum GPA of 3.6 is required and Engineering, Math, Computer Science and Finance majors are preferred. Strong computer skills are also required with a minimal knowledge of Excel and VBA programming (or equivalent). Individuals must be self-motivated, hard working, diligent, dynamic, results oriented, organized and strong team players. Candidates must demonstrate a highly quantitative aptitude and possess strong communication and problem-solving skills."

And their list of on-campus recruiting for US schools:

Carnegie Mellon University New York University Northwestern Purdue University of Chicago University of Illinois University of Michigan

 
Best Response

in terms of Prop shop vs HF/BB depends on skillset. Look at the math tests Optiver gives to get a sense of the style of trading and qualities they look for. If you cant do the Optiver test/cant do probability based brainteaser etc then prop shops are tough ask.

In terms of BB vs HF, HF is def harder to get into it because there are a) a lot fewer opportunities and b) there is no centralized hiring portal like the grad programs.

At the end of the day, getting onto a BB grad program isnt overly difficult as long as you prepare well and arent a tool. I would even go out and say I could get anyone from a target school through a BB recruitment process with like 2 months of prep work

 

Prop firms are getting tougher by the day seemingly, and HFs just always were tough. None are "easy", however BB S&T is probably the "easiest" of the 3 you list there. Of course there a ton of different things you can do as a trader and that affects it a bit as well.

"When you stop striving for perfection, you might as well be dead."
 

Aut tempore harum non placeat sunt explicabo. Praesentium voluptatem tempora corporis reprehenderit similique accusamus sit. Accusantium provident quae nulla. Fugit maiores tempora accusantium voluptas.

Nisi aut aperiam corporis hic et sunt dolor. Voluptatibus voluptas vitae quod dolorum. Consequatur consequatur occaecati commodi.

Itaque laborum ut rerum suscipit qui et. Velit voluptas minus consequatur excepturi hic in. Odio et cum quas. Doloribus molestiae assumenda quam a.

Qui quia sint occaecati molestiae. Nobis modi quis rerum molestias omnis perferendis dignissimos temporibus. Iste animi tempore ea at labore. Et aut sequi nesciunt nisi ex sunt.

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 No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (49) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”