Long time lurker, first time poster. Awesome phorum you got here, very informative and people don't pull their punches! I am finishing a Ph.D. in a not-so-quant subject, but before that I read Engineering at a top school. This summer I interned at a bank in equities and to my surprise, they want me back! This should be through a graduate scheme and I shall be hobnobbing with 20 year old college kids and MBAs. The scramble for desks was interesting during summer and the desk to which I shall be married to (after various rotations) will be determined as they do in speed dating(with me as the lad and the desk as the woman). Which reminds me of my awful skills in dating...
Enough rambling and cutting to the chase: Although I did get an idea about culture of desks during summer and I have searched for posts here which border on tangential issues. But as a Trader, which desks of the following will be most lucrative in terms of *simple cash*?
They are all in equities:
Structured Derivatives (I think one of senior members posted here that it is hard to start as a straight exotic trader)
Single Stock Derivatives
Electronic Derivatives (although I think that show is mostly run by quants!)
Stab Art (my programming sucks and hence not so keen)
Algorithmic Trading (my programming sucks and hence not so keen)
Program Trading
Convertible Trading
Equity Swaps
Prop Desk (includes Long Short, Risk Arb, Convert Arb, but as I read here on the phorum, starting out on Prop is not the best idea)
... There are more, but I am not very keen to them.
Also for the best preparation possible:
1. I have read parts of Hull, do plan to revisit it along with doing the problems!
2. I have read on the phorum regarding Natenberg (have it), and Baird. Someone on the desk recommended me Cox and Rubenstein.
3. Learning Excel VBA as first year or two on the desk is to learn and be the clerk, along with the lunch and coffee round
One question: Should I bother learning C++/Java? They did place me on a programming sort of desk for some weeks there and I worked hard on my Java to finish the project.
Personally, I love mental arithmetic and quick decision making, if my nerves are okay. And nothing is more fun than figuring out square root of 657 in 2 seconds to me. I would pick that over breaking my head over code. All I have to say, I wish I was smart enough to do that!
Cheers and thanks for your time. I guess I am being a leech by asking you to indulge me, but I promise to give back!
