NYSE broker or BB desk trader?

Which of these will give you a better learning experience that is more relevant to transfering into a HF? I can see how a desk trader at a BB manages risk by hedging and a NYSE floor broker for a BB does not, but the floor broker is present at the point of sale and is much more aware of how prices really move and is more in touch with the psycology of the markets which is very important.... thoughts?

P.S. don't give me the "NYSE will go extinct" answer, we are talking about working a short term stint (2-3 years)

16 Comments
 

Get down on the floor while you still can, don't expect there to be much going on though, the "good ol' days" on Broad street are over

 
deckonewow, the house is divided! this is good, please give more reasoning your answers though, this is a tough one

no, it's really not a tough one. go to the bank.

 
Best Response

Although I have never had a "job" at either, I have interned on a trading floor before and I am currently interning at a major hedge fund (where most of my time is divided between the merger arb and convertible arb desks, which I'm assuming is similar to desk trading at a BB). I think my fund would rather higher the desk trader than the broker because they commonly question the intelligence of brokers (maybe they're joking maybe they're serious, who knows).

But assuming that the two jobs were equal, i would say where you should go depends on personality. Working on a floor was a good experience for me, but I hated it. I just thought it was super boring and I really didn't like the environment. Being in a pit just made me feel like I was living in some underground dungeon Stevie Cohen had built to send bad traders to for losing him money. And the germs freaked me out too, if one person in the pit got sick, everyone got sick. I just wanted everyday to be over as soon as possible.

However, the hedge fund environment I have grown to love and could definitely see myself working there for a career. Also, if it helps, there's no former brokers working in the hedge fund I intern at, but over half the guys there are former traders (mostly prop desk guys).

 
Sucker_for_Seers I have interned on a trading floor before and I am currently interning at a major hedge fund (where most of my time is divided between the merger arb and convertible arb desks, which I'm assuming is similar to desk trading at a BB).

nah it's different.

 

If someone is working a prop desk at a BB, what's different about what they do there, compared to what a trader at a convertible arb desk in a hedge fund? Lots of the guys I work with formerly worked prop desks and gave me the impression it's similar. Therefore, I'm interested in what the differences are between a prop desk at a BB and desk trading in a hedge fund?

 
Sucker_for_SeersAlso, if it helps, there's no former brokers working in the hedge fund I intern at, but over half the guys there are former traders (mostly prop desk guys).

that's some good insight, thanks

 

Oh, I guess I just inferred prop desk, my bad. Am I right in assuming working a prop desk at a BB is similar to a convertible arb desk in a hedge fund?

 

Explicabo veniam ex facere excepturi. Ut sit aspernatur unde ratione. Nesciunt molestiae expedita sit illum. Aperiam dolorem culpa dignissimos porro dolorem recusandae quod maxime.

Sint incidunt perferendis sint tempora excepturi. Et molestiae qui dolores omnis ut eos. Vel tempore quidem cupiditate. Illum magni et porro culpa. Aut fuga ut laborum esse ut voluptates autem. Ut molestiae et repellendus. Perspiciatis eaque dolor cumque reprehenderit.

Iusto quasi ipsam itaque enim aliquam. In mollitia eos qui sunt. Id rerum sit quos ipsam consequatur. Aut blanditiis nobis temporibus ut. Qui voluptates amet totam. Deserunt consectetur quia saepe aut sunt id odio. Est possimus dignissimos quis libero iste fugiat qui non.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • Millennium Partners 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Blackstone Group 96.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.1%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.2%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.3%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $192
  • Analysts (240) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (28) $146
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
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
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”