DE Shaw, a good place to work?

S

snackly

Seems I can get in there for an interview, as a technologists (high performance trading systems, 70% tech, 30% finance), not as a quant (would not want to be a full time quant).

Thing is that quant funds are sucking it lately. How about DE? Worth going through what I imagine to be a really lengthy interviewing process?

Sorry, I know this site is about trading, but as a techie who does a fair bit of automated trading, I figured some folks here would have a good sense of the firm's current status.
 
Quote from abboudi:

Blue chip outfit. There are traders who would stab Buddha in the back to get a job there. Good luck.
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Interesting. Seems their site says they have ~35B in management, that is not exactly a huge amount for a company with offices in like 15 places.

Anyone know how they are fairing in today's markets?
 
Quote from snackly:

Interesting. Seems their site says they have ~35B in management, that is not exactly a huge amount for a company with offices in like 15 places.

Anyone know how they are fairing in today's markets?
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That is an unbelievably stupid comment... it's one of the largest hedge funds on this planet. Although this may not be their best year ever, they will still outperform most of their competition.

Like someone already said, most traders would kill for a job there. Good luck.
 
Quote from tgtrader:

That is an unbelievably stupid comment... it's one of the largest hedge funds on this planet. Although this may not be their best year ever, they will still outperform most of their competition.

Like someone already said, most traders would kill for a job there. Good luck.
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I work for an outfit that manages nearly the same amount, and sure it's a large amount, but for some reason I was expecting a bigger number for DES, probably because they are so universally known as a name, but I've never really understood what they do. I was imagining a much bigger number.

I guess in retrospect most funds that manage a lot more than that are private equity and not quant.

Anyway, I didn't mean to knock it, I take the opportunity very seriously. Thanks for the feedback and the well wishes.
 
Quote from snackly:

I work for an outfit that manages nearly the same amount, and sure it's a large amount, but for some reason I was expecting a bigger number for DES, probably because they are so universally known as a name, but I've never really understood what they do. I was imagining a much bigger number.

I guess in retrospect most funds that manage a lot more than that are private equity and not quant.

Anyway, I didn't mean to knock it, I take the opportunity very seriously. Thanks for the feedback and the well wishes.
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If i can recall DE Shaw really took it on the nose last summer when the volatility spiked high for the first time in ages...up until that point their returns were some of the best around, like other posters mentioned if you can get in there, take it!
 
To put it in simple terms -- if they are offering a paying position,

SLEEP ON THE FLOOR OF THE LOBBY IF YOU HAVE TO!

Seriously, when people of all stripes are facing layoff and you have an opportunity for a job there ... see the comment above.
Even if it isn't your dream job, you will learn some much at a place like that you take it anyways. Dude, you should be reading and updating this forum from their parking lot/garage.

Got it?
 
having DE shaw on your resume is better than almost any firm other than renaissance technoligies. its incredibly hard to get into or at least use to be. i have seen ads for programmers and then an automated questionaire comes back to anyone who sent them something followed by an interview.
 
Take the job.

I'll stop trading on my own (and do IT or quant.) for a few years to get connected with those guys.

But this really is subjective... what do you want in your career?

If you want to be their port. manager or in-house prop. (the term trader is very broad... you can be a desk or sales) trader, IT wouldn't be the way to go... You rarely hear an IT guy, moving forward and managing a book. If you're going in to steal off how they develop and manage models and trading... then it'll prolly be worth joining...

Really... it depends on what you're looking for...

...

I tend to see your posts about job seeking with Quant. funds...

If you really want to be on top of the game as an IT... join GS, JPM, or Morgan Stanley. Another alternative is to work at NYSE or NASDAQ, maybe one of the ECNs. In terms of technology, funds are limited within what the Sell-side offers. Knowing what / how the sell side technology is infrastructed will help you out a lot.

Working with Buy-side IT technology becomes a breeze after you get the hang of how the receiving end deals with what you send.

So who are you with now? GSAM? JPAM? BW? FR?
 
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