I've applied to them a bunch of times for random roles but they never interview me. I've gotten interviews at all the other top quant firms before in quant trading or software engineering roles: HRT, JS, Jump, Citadel, Two Sigma, DRW, IMC, Optiver etc. Anyone at DE shaw can explain what kind of person they're looking for exactly? #deshaw #quant #interview #finance
Is DE Shaw even worth it these days? If it was Rentech or Jane Street I'd understand.
I used to think the same, but really what is this based on? Tbh even Renaissance Technologies is not doing great for anyone but themselves. It's been a while since they last hired someone at the level of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ax?wprov=sfla1 Or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_E._Baum?wprov=sfla1 I mean it's still a pretty successful and elite place, but I am not sure if they are still that far above the rest. Regarding DE Shaw I have almost no evidence to even say they are better than Two Sigma tbh much less being better than Jane Street, which seems to have a pretty academic culture.
JS > HRT >= Shaw > Citadel >> TS. Source: I have an offer from TS and will be joining them soon. But one of my friends got offers from HRT, Shaw, Citadel and JS. Though Citadel's numbers were higher than Shaw, he rejected Citadel due to poor team matching and questionable wlb Business performance: Shaw and Citadel profits are soaring lately. https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/tiger-global-tops-hedge-fund-ranking-as-rentech-gets-booted
They wanted to interview me. I passed..
Op you said you got interviews at all other Quant Funds, does that include Renaissance Technologies?
Actually what I have seen DE SHAW always have preferred collage passout .... they rejected better applicants Also one thing for those market hires dont join shaw as your growth will be low comparwd to collage hires
This makes some things compile.
Usually the firm looks for exceptional academic achievements (GPA, Olympiads, Programming contests etc) and very productive work experience. Publications, citations are also a plus. The firm gets lots of good candidate applications so it is quite selective with who to interview.
This doesn't.
I think Recruiting is really focusing on the intern to full timer pipeline, since the last couple of years. Also haven't seen too many non-VPs leaving. So, probably just bad timing.
Not sure about this. Let me tell you one anecdote: A friend of mine was good enough to be interviewed by Rentech but not you guys. Got a generic rejection email during CV screening.
D. E. Shaw profits are soaring yoy. I guess no one's leaving lol
Was in same boat as OP, and got no interviews for two years but interviewed everywhere else. Last cycle I finally got an interview, and got through all the rounds. Thought I did well but didn't get an offer. Talked to an intern there, and they said the intern conversion quota was way lower "because the firm wasn't doing as well in the pandemic, which caused a lot of hiring to slow down" but who knows. They seemed like smart, nice people
Lol. 2020 was the best year for DE Shaw in the whole history of its existence.
At least these days, they want someone from the right school with the right high school prizes, or the right PhD, in short, emphasis on the right school (undergrad from Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Caltech preferred, Princeton may be acceptable). Jump and Jane Street also have quite a bias on what school you went to and HRT/Tower are also pretty snobby, but DE Shaw is the ultimate pedigree snob. I've gotten interviews at HRT/Citadel, and JS let me interview back in college though they strangely never let me advance to the later rounds (always did every brainteaser correctly, I was fairly good at contest math), but DE Shaw has never given me a phone screen.
Which one is the least snobby w r.t schools? I managed to interview at Jump Singapore even though I didn't go to a target school, but my experience with JS and TS is similar to OP's.
Citadel for sure. Jump front office is only for top school people.