Employment Contract Questions

I'm a senior graduating in May from a (non-target) state school who recently got a trader position offer from a top 3 HFT prop shop. I'm a little concerned about the employment contract because it includes a 2 year non compete. Most of the graduate programs (mfe/quant finance) I'm looking at for the future are 1-1.5 years. Should I be worried about this?

5 Comments
 
bigblue3908

Depends on the language in the contract but most of those clauses are completely unenforcible at the junior level. Check it over with a lawyer if you're unsure, but I doubt it's anything to worry about

This is completely false. Not only is it enforceable in many jurisdictions, but any trader position is a senior position when a lot of capital is in play.

OP, I work in this space; feel free to PM me any specific questions.

 
Best Response
justin88 bigblue3908:

Depends on the language in the contract but most of those clauses are completely unenforcible at the junior level. Check it over with a lawyer if you're unsure, but I doubt it's anything to worry about

This is completely false. Not only is it enforceable in many jurisdictions, but any trader position is a senior position when a lot of capital is in play.

OP, I work in this space; feel free to PM me any specific questions.

I'll defer to you since I'm not a trader, but I've talked with multiple lawyers who say the opposite for junior level positions at least. But I can imagine it's more stringent in prop trading than it is for MC/IBD for obvious reasons
 

Consequatur corporis rerum quis sapiente dicta dolorem labore. Rerum reiciendis non nam vel. Deserunt corrupti est totam qui labore.

Voluptas natus quidem at repellendus voluptatem a distinctio. Fugit sunt nihil libero ipsa sit aut velit itaque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 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 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • 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

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...”