LOL..... I was with schony at the top of their game. In the chicago office, with the RUSSIAN and the Crazy JEW. I learned from both.
At the time i was with schony, the firm created excellent relationships with their traders and gave each trader a solid foundation and teached the skill of Momentum trading.
However out of 1100 traders, very few were really profitable. Most were "commison traders". Real short, they got payed out on their commissions, since schony was self clearing. Very few were truly up positive on true profits.
I was very lucky to be surrounded by whom i traded with, and they have all left schony to move on. No hard feelings between myself, my fellow traders that were with me, or any of the top traders that left the firm. The Firm went through some changes and a eye opening experience in 2000 which lead to my decision to move on and trade options. Shortly there after schony fired many traders, shutdown offices and schony regrouped.
IMHO I belive schony is the best place for a rookie to be. If they still have the same philosophy that Steven Schonfeld pushed. (not his trading philosophy, that game is over, but Mentoring philosophy.)
If it was not for Schnoy, i would not have learned what i did about trading, taking losses, etc. I would have never had the chance to be mentored by a few great traders.
So, i would say call schony up and go with them. Get active if hired, seek out the best of the best and sit with that person. Learn learn learn.
don't worry about payout.....the Schony payout method is complicated but it works out to be a good deal.
And so you know.....that even though Schony got into some serious losses in 2000-2001....schony still payed out the Kicker, (defer. P$L payment) to all those who had one coming. That move in and of itself should tell you that they are professional and honorable.
best of luck