I'm an undergrad in the EU. HFT companies pay better here (for internships at least). I will be interning at one as a SWE this summer. It is likely I will be able to convert to full-time. Wouldn't that be a mistake though?
I want to maximize my possibilities in the future. Going wherever you get more money is probably not optimal strategy for a new grad. Should I try to go to FAANG once I graduate? What if I get lower TC there? Is the answer different if I get offers in the US?
TC: 0 YOE: 0
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Comp in HFT is outpaced than FAANG, not even close. Also don’t try and use a historical year of a bull run. You’re not going to see 50% returns YoY.
Interesting problems? It’s a job that you get paid an arm and a leg for at HFT. if you find your happiness from your job, grats. The majority of people don’t need that as they have hobbies or different interests.
I’d rather spend 40 hrs per week on what I’m interested in, and my quality of life does not depend on a few extra 100ks per year right now. And this often pays off financially in the long term, too, but you seem personally invested in being right so this might be hard to understand. Don’t worry, you have time to grow up.
And if money is your top priority, don’t be an SWE at all, there are much better ways.
As long as it’s not some small/niche hft you will be perfectly fine transitioning into tech if you realise its not for you.
If for whatever reason comp is similar i would just go to one which promises a more interesting team.
There are other things to do, and you'll likey get paid well but there won't be limitless possibilities.
Stress levels in HFT are something to consider. A company can bankrupt itself in seconds. If that is not on your mind with every piece of code you write you're in the wrong field. The latest to do that was Ronin, and it was a mature company. (Not technical error though, strangely).
I had the same decision and went with hft. It's pretty easy to make that decision if you have offers from both.