Optiver vs Wolverine
Hi,
I've been fortunate enough to get an offer from both of these firms for a position as an options trader (Optiver in Amsterdam and Wolverine in London). I have a bit of time to make a final decision and was hoping to get some advice. Below is a list of positives and negatives I have for both firms. Would appreciate if anyone could confirm the accuracy of the below statements/rumours or give any additional points that could help me make a decision...
Optiver
+ Full of smart people, you get a lot of responsibility early on
+ Reputation for paying well (well they used to. I've heard rumours this is no longer the case, can anyone shed any light here?)
- Reputation for getting rid of people very quickly if they don't perform.
- They have a one year non-compete which is applicable even if you get laid off. This is non-negotiable.
- Various rumours about a bias towards Dutch workers in the Amsterdam office (I'm British).
Wolverine
+ Only four traders in the London office meaning I could potentially get a lot of responsibility and move through the ranks quickly.
+ They gave the impression they employ people for the long term and care about the development of their employees.
- Only four traders in the London office. Just how important is London to their overall setup? If the answer is not very much then just how far could I progress under such a setup?
- Total compensation likely to be lower than Optiver but I am not certain on this front.
I am leaning towards Optiver, it seems like the more exciting option. But by the same token it's also the more risky one. I have no previous experience a trader. I would like to believe I will be a successful trader but you never know and it could be pretty damaging to my career if it doesn't work out and I lose my job quickly at Optiver. Does anyone know how enforceable this non-compete is? Supposedly it applies to "finance related jobs" which is rather vague - would they really fire me then stop me from working at say an investment bank or something else that isn't directly related to HFT?
All advice much appreciated.
Hmm, that's a tough call. Does Wolverine have a non-compete agreement requirement as well?
I can't claim to have any experience here, but based on my few year old memory Optiver is a churn & burn place... so I'd go w/ the other. Congrats!
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