Best place to start?

Gents,

Out of undergraduate, is it better to start your career as an investment analyst at a macro fund like Bridgewater or to work somewhere more quant focused like DE Shaw?

I am looking at this from a development perspective--I am not sure what I would like to trade in the future, but I want to pursue the experience that provides the best training/future opportunities.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 
Best Response

If you are graduating with a math or technical background, it's always easier to start quantitative and more more qualitative. I started in fixed income and moved to equities, for instance. The other way around would have been harder.

That said, you ultimately make your decision based on the choices in front of you. I had an offer to be a developer at Microsoft or to work in analytics at (what was then) a household-name investment bank building a pricing system. I chose the investment bank because it ultimately offered a better opportunity- even though it's easier to move from Microsoft to Morgan Stanley than it is the other way around.

 

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