Hedge Fund interview questions

Discussion in 'Professional Trading' started by beer money, Jun 6, 2005.

  1. answering tricky questions correctly is great, but i've come to realize that once you've reached a certain level of intelligence marketing, sales, and connections are vastly more important than ones ability to perform well on logic tests. do you have the people skills to assemble a fund? do you have the connections and sales skills to get subscribers? do you have the people skills to manage jittery investors during drawdown? sometimes the simplest skills matter the most.
     
    #31     Jun 21, 2005
  2. AC3

    AC3

    Answering tricky questions correctly will never be a negative in an interview and getting the "clock" question or the dice question correct is either a signal that you are smart or that you did your homework in Tricky Interveiw Questions 101 For my money when interveiwing a candidate the truthful response to: What have you traded and What are you comfortable trading is critical .......... the last thing you want to do is GET the gig under false pretenses then F' up the first trade they allow you to do b/c you bullshited your way through.....keep your game tight...get comfortable in your role and never say "I can't do that" rather say ....."I'd like to learn how to trade that".... For what its worth the big interview questions when I was coming up ...100 years ago were a) I roll a die 100 times tell me the avg roll ...you have 20 seconds b) Tell me the weight of a 747 c) Make me a mrkt on the chair your sitting in d) tell me all you know about X ...... be able to talk about anything w/ anyone and youll be comfortable when you get the "boss" on the line.........
     
    #32     Jun 21, 2005
  3. Hey, nice to hear from a losing trader!
     
    #33     Jun 21, 2005
  4. AK100

    AK100

    Not me, was a broker for a long time, easier money and better money than 90% of all you wannabbes. Just make sure you're not servicing 1-5 lot punks.

    Saw it all go on first hand right back to the days of 1988, in fact I was as much of a part of it as the guys on the other end of the phone.

    Wall Steet and other financial centres are masters at skimming, and if you believe the game is straight then I've got another London Bridge for you to buy. :D :D :D
     
    #34     Jun 22, 2005
  5. AK100

    AK100

    Yep, nice post there's a lot more to this game than being able to buy low/sell high.

    One of the most successful brokers I once new in London was also one of the worst, he couldn't broke for dick but almost every wirehouse wanted to poach him. Always turned up late for work, 2-3 hours for lunch, talked like an ill-informed idiot (about the markets) etc etc.

    So what was his secret? He was the funniest guy you've ever met, both men and women loved him. He could take a load of (present or perspective) clients out and really entertain them, if they wanted girls and to get pissed up he was their man. If they wanted a light dinner, theatre etc, he was their man. If they wanted Tennis, cricket or racing they (the clients) never had a better day out.

    He bought so much business in it was just crazy. Of course the management knew to give those accounts to real brokers but he still took a great cut.

    So no, there are many ways to make it in this game and making good in a load of doing stupid tests often closes the door to people who would excel in the interview job offered.
     
    #35     Jun 22, 2005
  6. bwc

    bwc

    That's right.. ..just like what Salary Theorem stated:

    "Salary Theorem" states that "Engineers and Scientists and Mathematicians
    can never earn as much as Business Executives and Sales People."

    This theorem can now be supported by a mathematical equation based on
    the following two postulates:

    1. Knowledge is Power.
    2. Time is Money.

    As every engineer knows:
    Power = Work / Time

    Since:
    Knowledge = Power
    Time = Money

    It follows that:
    Knowledge = Work/Money.

    Solving for Money, we get:
    Money = Work / Knowledge.

    Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity,
    regardless of the amount of work done.

    Conclusion:
    The less you know, the more you make.

    So if you are ever stump on a question, tell the interviewer this and then ask him so how much he makes.
     
    #36     Jun 22, 2005