Applying to Prop firms after graduating

Hello everyone,

I recently got rejected by Optiver after applying for the Trader programme (Amsterdam Office) after having a HR interview.

The interviewer was very nice and provided feedback, stating that I needed to be more concise with my answers regarding my motivations. This is something which I can easily improve on, however I need to wait until next year to reapply.

I currently am working as an accountant , however I am interviewing for some risk positions with other prop firms in London during the interval to develop my stats and technical skills before reapplying, helping me to show Optiver I am continuously learning after university. On top of this, I am enrolling on to some pre-program MFE courses in statistics and Python programming to further develop my theoretical knowledge in these areas. One thing I have noticed however is it seems Optiver tends to recruit Traders directly out of top universities e.g. Oxbridge, instead of more recent graduates.

Does anyone know what Optiver's, as well as other top prop shops, stance is regarding applicants who have already graduated? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

5 Comments
 

Idk about optiver specifically but I have applied to prop firms after graduating and received an offer.

 

I recently had an inhouse day at their amsterdam office and the recruiter told us that they have a one-time application policy, i.e., auto-reject when you are re-applying. But on the bright side, that are thinking about changing it.

 

Temporibus quas facilis sunt non dolorem. Eveniet ullam et molestiae dicta blanditiis.

Sit error provident et repellendus nemo recusandae consectetur. Nulla et sed distinctio aut non deserunt. Sed laudantium a et. Perferendis rerum vero at aut nulla aliquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”