sales vs trading internship for MSFE program?

[fkingloser]

I'm a student based in APAC, and aiming to apply for MS of Financial Engineering Program in US Schools next year.
Recently I got Summer Analyst offer from two Bulge Bracket IBs for Market Division.
One is GS Derivatives Sales team and the other is CS Hybrid Trading team.
At a glance I definitely thought CS Hybrid Trading team would be much beneficial to my resume or application, since this team utilizes programming for risk management and building trading strategies while Sales team is considered more about Relationship Management. But I thought it wouldn't hurt to listen to many opinions from this community and what criteria to look for when choosing between them.
Personally, I want to pursue the career in quant trading/HFs at the long term after MS program, but also considering starting at the Securities Division in BBs and then make a transition to the buy side. Which do you think would be the better choice for my career development?
(PS: Please excuse me for the ignorance or lack of knowledge about this area)

Thanks in advance

 

[shadefaliam]

I'm a student based in APAC, and aiming to apply for MS of Financial Engineering Program in US Schools next year.
Recently I got Summer Analyst offer from two Bulge Bracket IBs for Market Division.
One is GS Derivatives Sales team and the other is CS Hybrid Trading team.
At a glance I definitely thought CS Hybrid Trading team would be much beneficial to my resume or application, since this team utilizes programming for risk management and building trading strategies while Sales team is considered more about Relationship Management. But I thought it wouldn't hurt to listen to many opinions from this community and what criteria to look for when choosing between them.
Personally, I want to pursue the career in quant trading/HFs at the long term after MS program, but also considering starting at the Securities Division in BBs and then make a transition to the buy side. Which do you think would be the better choice for my career development?
(PS: Please excuse me for the ignorance or lack of knowledge about this area)

Thanks in advance

On the surface it would look like a simple choice: Pickup the trading role. Makes sense too because sell side sales role is increasingly becoming irrelevant. Given the fact that you were offered a sales role, I would believe you have above average persuasive and communication skills, which would be a upshot in your career even as a trader.

However, I offer you an alternative, albeit a very strong one if you have not considered. Given the little information you have provided above, I suggest, do NOT aim for a MSFE program, irrespective of what you might be inclined to believe from the members here. It would be a waste of your time and money and you will not be learning any useful skill which you cannot pickup otherwise. If you want to move to buyside or a prop shop, do the trading program at CS and make a name for yourself as a risk taker. On the other hand, the GS sales role offers you a chance to move a private equity role. Your choice, if you want to live life filled with intraday adrenalin rush as a securities trader or want to play a longer slower game of private equity. Either ways, an MFE is a waste for you.

 

[fkingloser]

On the surface it would look like a simple choice: Pickup the trading role. Makes sense too because sell side sales role is increasingly becoming irrelevant. Given the fact that you were offered a sales role, I would believe you have above average persuasive and communication skills, which would be a upshot in your career even as a trader.

However, I offer you an alternative, albeit a very strong one if you have not considered. Given the little information you have provided above, I suggest, do NOT aim for a MSFE program, irrespective of what you might be inclined to believe from the members here. It would be a waste of your time and money and you will not be learning any useful skill which you cannot pickup otherwise. If you want to move to buyside or a prop shop, do the trading program at CS and make a name for yourself as a risk taker. On the other hand, the GS sales role offers you a chance to move a private equity role. Your choice, if you want to live life filled with intraday adrenalin rush as a securities trader or want to play a longer slower game of private equity. Either ways, an MFE is a waste for you.

It seems like an interesting opinion for not recommending MSFE program because I never heard this kind of advice. I was thinking of moving to buyside or prop shop but my school is not well known in US or UK, which I thought would be really critical to getting a job there.(I know that alma mater really does not matter at the field of trading, but when I look at the employees, most of them have a degree from well renowned university from US or UK so that really gets in mind) ALso I was quite convinced that I would be able to get useful skills such as derivatives pricing, algo trading or etc form prestigious MSFE programs.

Could you, if you don't mind, elaborate a bit more about how MSFE would NOT be a good leverage opportunity to got to buyside or prop shops? I would really appreciate it.

Anyway thanks for your advice.

 

[noether-skolem]

MSFE is a helpful tool to pivot someone's career into quant trading/research/development/risk/etc roles, especially for those who intend to switch from a different career path (other types of finance roles, or completely unrelated fields) or want to move to another country (student visa -> work visa transition is often easier than obtaining work visa directly from outside the country).

If you are already in a quant role, you should look into how other people in your industry move into the roles you're interested in, sort of like the "how to break into X from Y" kind of threads you can find on finance sites/forums. An MSFE degree is pretty costly (high 5-figures to 6-figures tuition), often times located in cities with high rent/living costs, not to mention the 1-2 years of income loss. Depending on what your goal is, it may not be a sound investment. Other degrees (e.g. CS as mentioned earlier) could be options you could consider as well.

Then again you mentioned that you're currently based in APAC, so doing an MSFE degree in the US opens up the paths to the bigger job market.

 

[syunus]

I have not tried to train on this platform in regards to trading and selling cryptocurrencies. I usually do trading, and I have a pretty good profit margin. Still, I have no experience in terms of selling, but I can say that the profit from trading is much better than from selling. At this point, I have taken a break from training due to the high risk of failure. I was thinking about joining a group on this cryptocurrency topic, but I can't find a suitable one. Maybe someone knows a forum on this issue and can help me with this issue. I will be grateful for your help.

Dude you have stumbled upon wrong forum.....