Important Career Decision - Appreciate your Feedback

I have a full-time offer for when I graduate from a top firm in the IB group. I am trying to decide whether to accept the offer or join a hedge fund. Hedge Funds I am considering include Forester Capital, Great Point Partners, Abrams Bison Investment, Summit Partners, Criterion Capital Management, Spark, D.E. Shaw group, Bain Capital. Could you comment on any of these firms in terms of which I should definitely pursue as well as those which you feel should not be on my list (as I would like to narrow down the list)? Further, could you comment on the wisdom of choosing IB over a hedge fund for my first full-time position. Thanks.

 

Unless it is a "household" name fund and a great position, go with IB. You can do that for 2 yrs and then go to any fund you want with legit training and resume padding.

 
radicalseller:
Unless it is a "household" name fund and a great position, go with IB. You can do that for 2 yrs and then go to any fund you want with legit training and resume padding.

You may be able to get into a hedge fund but it's far from being a given and it wont be "any fund you want". It's not like 2 year bankers are a scarce resource.

 
Best Response

D.E. Shaw is the only group on the list worth pursuing. I agree with radicalseller in that unless you can get in with Shaw take the IB job. If you are good and can convey this during interviews coming out of a IB program you should have a list of hedge fund groups to choose from. Taking a position with a lesser known HF group at this point puts you in a tougher spot as you may have to worry more about business specific risk and should your firm shut down your experience may be less valued by your next employer. Of course, if you find a small group that hits it big, you may experience a big payoff sooner than many of your peers.

 

I disagree with the previous advice. If you can get a job at D.E. Shaw, Sankaty (I assume that is the hedge fund at bain capital or maybe you meant brookside which would be even sicker) or other good funds that hire out of college like silverpoint etc then you will be in much better shape for recruiting to another hedge fund after your two year program than if you come from a bank. A bank would be better for PE, but a hedge fund is a much better jump into a new hedge fund position. Just my opinion and I agree with the point that you should not take a job at a small fly by night fund.

 

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