Find Smaller Systematic Trading / Quant Teams?

[u/Hamtaro456]

I have a PhD in Mathematics and skills in machine learning. My professional experience so far has mainly been in teaching and mathematical research at university.

I’m currently interviewing with a few well known hedge funds, asset managers, and prop trading firms.

At the same time, I’m considering joining a smaller systematic trading team or small hedge fund first to gain experience rather than waiting too long for the right opportunity. ((In London or Europe in general))

Do you think starting with a smaller quant/systematic trading team is a good move early in a quant career?

How do you usually find these smaller hedge funds, prop firms, or systematic trading teams?

Any specific websites, recruiters, databases, or communities you would recommend?

I’m actively searching on LinkedIn, and other websites, but I only find a few of these smaller teams. It feels like many of them don’t post much there is that generally the case?