Searching Smarter

Discover how AI, slower hiring and more selective recruitment are reshaping the early-career finance market, and why specificity matters more than ever.

Explore the biggest financial services compensation trends shaping 2026, including rising incentives, leaner teams, changing bonus structures and growing competition with AI firms for elite technology and quantitative talent.

Bradley Saacks, hedge fund reporter at Business Insider, joins Searching Smarter to discuss competition for hedge fund talent, rising compensation, early-career hiring and how major firms are building for long-term growth.

Ying Hua, founder and CEO of Implied, joins the Searching Smarter podcast to discuss AI, quant and fundamental investing, technical skills and investment careers.

Rebecca Patterson, former Chief Investment Strategist at Bridgewater Associates, joins Searching Smarter to discuss how AI is reshaping financial services, why human judgment remains essential, and the skills finance professionals need to succeed in an AI-driven industry.

Jesse Skaff speaks with Anthony Chung of AmplifyME about what finance employers really look for in candidates, from practical experience and communication skills to AI, curiosity, and resilience.

In this episode of Searching Smarter, we speak with Andrew Carr of Fundamental Edge about stock pitching, investment research, and the skills that continue to separate top analysts from the rest.

Jesse Skaff speaks with Leonard Syriaque about how candidate expectations, hiring standards, and the way professionals present their experience are changing in today’s talent market.

This episode of Searching Smarter breaks down where capital is flowing, the risks shaping the market, and how hiring dynamics are changing across private markets.