Can you move Akuna junior trader to Hedge Fund Analyst?

Hi everyone,

My cousin is a strategy consultant and he was made redundant due to Covid. As such, he is currently near the end of the interview process for a 'Junior Trader' role at Akuna Capital. 

He has developed a passion for the markets and wants to ultimately try and move into an L/S HF within their investment team. He hopes to grow overtime to become a PM.

He believes that getting a foot in the HF world, considering how hard it is to break in, would help him grow and move around in the future. 

I offered to post this on WSO so that he can seek guidance from experienced HF guys who might be able to provide valuable guidance.


"1. Is its possible to move from Akuna Capital (Options MM/Prop trading HF) to an MM HF Investment Analyst role? 

       - Is it possible to move from Options MM trader --> HF Investment Analyst


  1. Does Akuna have a strong reputation on the street? I know its one of the new guys, but it seems to be doing really well from what I have read. I am interested in hearing from experienced professionals on whether Akuna might be a great first step on the ladder."

Thank you all in advance for your insight and feedback. I will pass these onto him so that he can make a more informed decision.

 

As an ex- strategy consultant, he has strong DD, modelling and financial analysis skills. 

Do you think, combining the technical skills he could potentially gain in this trading role + consulting skillset, would help overcome the lack of a pure play IB/PE track into an L/S HF?

Thanks for your help - if you can elaborate on other alternatives or why its not a good pathway, that would be amazing

 

If he wants to be a HF investment analyst, this is not the place to go. Akuna is a derivatives market maker and the skills he will develop there is extremely unique to that business. Most MMs I know stay at one firm or move around a few times within the industry. 

 

No, hf requires a completely different skill sets. HFt makes Pennie’s trades thousands of times. Hf requires you to understand the market and businesses

 
Most Helpful

Maxime laudantium et quidem ullam non rerum. Similique reiciendis et aut rerum laboriosam iure. Cupiditate sit eum iusto dicta quam quo beatae voluptatem.

Ut rerum similique aut enim blanditiis architecto ullam. Molestiae rerum repellendus neque dolorem quia voluptatem non. Necessitatibus et voluptas expedita ipsam rem nihil aspernatur ducimus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.9%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.8%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • AQR Capital Management 94.7%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.8%
  • Blackstone Group 96.8%
  • Two Sigma Investments 95.7%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.6%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 97.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 96.9%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.8%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (23) $474
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (6) $322
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (24) $287
  • Manager (4) $282
  • Engineer/Quant (71) $274
  • 2nd Year Associate (30) $251
  • 1st Year Associate (73) $190
  • Analysts (225) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (23) $131
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (252) $89
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”