Required Knowledge for Summer Intership Trading Interview
GammaJammer
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You only need to switch it ON goose- the off part usually happens by magic.
So glad you werent ever my intern. I do like a nice cuppa.
On serious point for the OP, I think the main thing is a positive attitude, and some evidence you have already been taking an active interest in the markets in some way. As I understand it a lot of the intern programs are rotational, so there's no way someone still at Uni is going to have much technical knowledge. All they're gonna have is a bunch of book learning at best, and that ain't worth that much on a trading floor. So smile, be relaxed, and don't come across as a pain in the @ss.
Try to sound well read as well - theres every excuse for not being able to talk fluently about vol skews and their impact on gamma profile, but no excuse for not having time to read the economist etc. Time is the one thing you probably have more of than the people you're interviewing with. So make sure you don't come across as spending it all in the bar.
So glad you werent ever my intern. I do like a nice cuppa.
On serious point for the OP, I think the main thing is a positive attitude, and some evidence you have already been taking an active interest in the markets in some way. As I understand it a lot of the intern programs are rotational, so there's no way someone still at Uni is going to have much technical knowledge. All they're gonna have is a bunch of book learning at best, and that ain't worth that much on a trading floor. So smile, be relaxed, and don't come across as a pain in the @ss.
Try to sound well read as well - theres every excuse for not being able to talk fluently about vol skews and their impact on gamma profile, but no excuse for not having time to read the economist etc. Time is the one thing you probably have more of than the people you're interviewing with. So make sure you don't come across as spending it all in the bar.
GladiatorX
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Talk about how you've made 2 million dollars in the stock market and when they say 'Wasn't that Darvas' Just be like 'Got you, i was just joking' ...
Earnt me my McDonalds job.
Earnt me my McDonalds job.
Thanks for your reply. That's really what I had been hoping to hear. I don't really have any technical knowledge to be honest but I do read the FT and economist regularly.
You mention knowing the basic stuff; what are we talking about here?
Is there anything in particular I should try to learn before interviews (That's if I get an interview
) as I will still have about another month or two I think.what drives markets mainly. what is current situation-have a view going forward.
one of my favourite basic quesions is where is oil trading. ball park will suffice but it's just a simple "do you know what the fck is going on" sort of thing. sure i could ask where 3 month libor is but i wouldn't expect an intern to know or care about this.
one of my favourite basic quesions is where is oil trading. ball park will suffice but it's just a simple "do you know what the fck is going on" sort of thing. sure i could ask where 3 month libor is but i wouldn't expect an intern to know or care about this.
Ok. So I have made it to my first assessment centre
"The assessment day will consist of a paper-based numerical reasoning test, a case study presentation, a group exercise and two competency based interviews"
So it doesn't seem like there will be anything technical at all!
Does anyone have any tips for the presentation, group exercise and competency interviews? I'm quite comfortable with the numerical test.
Also, in general, what percentage of the people attending the assessment centre are likely to be offered a summer internship? 50%?
And will everyone that is there be going for the same division of the bank?
"The assessment day will consist of a paper-based numerical reasoning test, a case study presentation, a group exercise and two competency based interviews"
So it doesn't seem like there will be anything technical at all!
Does anyone have any tips for the presentation, group exercise and competency interviews? I'm quite comfortable with the numerical test.
Also, in general, what percentage of the people attending the assessment centre are likely to be offered a summer internship? 50%?
And will everyone that is there be going for the same division of the bank?
GammaJammer
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You probably know the answers to more of this stuff than most posters on this site do to be honest. The pros (the ones that even went down that route) will mostly have forgotten as soon as they landed a job, and the rest will be in the dark. I don't ever get the sense many young grads / interns hang out here personally.
In terms of what's being tested for, broadly they're looking for an agile mind, so preparing for it by knowing the material is probably precisely what they're NOT looking for. Just be yourself, and try and strike a decent blance between assertiveness and sensitivity to others in the teambuilding. If you have to err on one side err on the latter. Just think of the worst chav estate agent / telesales types on The Apprentice and aim for being everything they're not.
In terms of what's being tested for, broadly they're looking for an agile mind, so preparing for it by knowing the material is probably precisely what they're NOT looking for. Just be yourself, and try and strike a decent blance between assertiveness and sensitivity to others in the teambuilding. If you have to err on one side err on the latter. Just think of the worst chav estate agent / telesales types on The Apprentice and aim for being everything they're not.