Sales and marketing has been a rare growth area for hedge fund hiring as funds rebuild depleted assets and target new markets. Those with the connections to bring on board institutional investors are most in demand. Institutional capital is the holy grail: long term, stable and sticky. It is also expected to be the main growth area.

In the UK, institutional investors currently allocate 8.2% of their assets to hedge funds, according to a September survey by JP Morgan Asset Management, and this is expected to grow to 9.2% over the next two to three years. US institutions are expected to invest $150bn in hedge funds in the next three years, according to consulting firm Casey Quirk.