should i take the model validation offer?

[binomial-torrent]

so i just graduated with a BS in math from a semi-target, interned at a major IB in model risk validation group and got a full time (contract) offer. should i take it? given they’re trying to lowball me as much as possible bc they seem to know i don’t have other offers.

i can either
- take the offer and keep interviewing
- don’t take the offer and have more time to keep interviewing
- take the offer and get a year of exp or something then MS/phd

basically the only thing good that can come out of this is having a brand name bank on my resume instead of just random startups.

for a scope of my abilities, i have historically gotten to penultimate interview rounds and onsites for the roles i want (ranging from HFs to prop shops to tech companies for quant analyst/quant research/data science or lite-undergrad versions of those roles) but not further than that. should i keep rolling the dice? i am getting better at the interview questions but is the rate of improvement good enough to outpace this horrible job market? i’m in the second to last interview round for a major HF right now for a research role that i think i am well qualified for, but even if i get technical stuff right there’s stuff outside my control, so all in all it’s just one egg in one basket.

pls advise, i am losing hair over this, every adult tells me to take it easy and u got this!! you’ll be fine!! just think positive!! young people don’t get stuck!! (from my supposed “mentors” nonetheless) like they understand the darwinian world people starting out today are in lol... because i don’t want to get stuck in model val for the rest of my life especially when they are trying to lowball me and treat me as badly as my lack of options allow them to. i don’t want to seal my fate by taking this offer and staying too long...

 

[IntoDarkness]

hmm that ib sounds like wells fargo

 

[binomial-torrent]

hmm that ib sounds like wells fargo

it’s one of the BB IBs, think barclays/DB/credit suisse/etc

 

[IntoDarkness]

but a job is better than no job
think worse scenario that you interview around and don't get anything then time drags on you become really unemployed that looks bad

 

[binomial-torrent]

but a job is better than no job
think worse scenario that you interview around and don't get anything then time drags on you become really unemployed that looks bad

should i just take it and keep interviewing then? the only trouble i can see potentially is if i have onsites and have to take days off or work remotely.

how difficult would it be to transfer out into FO if i’m just starting out and i plan on doing it in less than 1-2 years? i don’t think we have been validating FO models either bc FO is very secretive about their models, understandably, which is another reason why i didn’t want to take the offer.

or alternatively will it make getting into a top MFE/STEM MSc/PhD easier?

 

[IntoDarkness]

looks like that job is pretty far away from what you want to do it will make getting into a top program easier so you still have a second chance through grad school

 

[Onegin]

Concur w @IntoDarkness - bird in the hand right now is not a terrible thing. I would eliminate the choice of take the job, and keep interviewing. It's shitty to renege from an ethical perspective, but even worse it's stupid because word does get around.

 

[binomial-torrent]

Concur w @IntoDarkness - bird in the hand right now is not a terrible thing. I would eliminate the choice of take the job, and keep interviewing. It's shitty to renege from an ethical perspective, but even worse it's stupid because word does get around.

i wouldn't mind staying if they give me the kinds of projects that i want. PD machine learning models with macroeconomic data, yes. validation of IT models, no. i am EXTREMELY PARANOID so maybe i'm exaggerating the how much of the work is shit, but still.

also the offer is a 9 month contract with (high) probability of turning full time so it can coincide especially with new grad offers that start june 2020. since it's a contract i won't have health insurance either. I will try my best not to renege--any loyalty or investment they show in my career will be reciprocated, but so will the lack thereof.