Interviews + trading desk shadowing
Hello people, I am a junior at a target school, and was invited over to one of the BB's trading floors for interviews + desk shadowing for a day (sort of an accelerated process). I think it is certainly a very good opportunity for me and I'm sure I want to make the most out of it. Any advice on what I should expect to be doing on the floors or what I should not be doing? Thanks in advance.
Are you male or female?
be fun
I've had a few interviews conducted in this setting before because it was for an S&T inernship. If the interviews happen to take place with traders during trading hours at their desks, just be sure to get to the point quickly with what you're saying. They will do all they can to pay attention to you, but if you start rambling, whether they know it or not their attention will go back to their terminals and you'll become background noise. Not a good lasting impression. This can be a great experience though so enjoy and good luck!
^I hate it when that happens...
someone asked what to prepare for for a day they would spend shadowing equity derivatives traders. I gave some advice, it was tailored to equity derivatives but you could use the same concepts for your shadowing.
Edit: Cant find the thread but if you search for it you should be able to find it.
Ask good questions. This doesn't mean that you should go in with 5 standard questions that you came up with the night before and ask everyone the same thing. Know as much about recent market news and formulate good questions based on what is on the screens in front of you if you can. If you are able to ask intelligent questions then you'll leave a lasting impression on them. Think of each shadowing as an interview. They're going to decide whether they like you during it, so be ready for that and make the day count.
^ Just to add to what I said before, I was not supposed to be interviewed at the desks of the traders, there was a conference room set aside that everyone decided to ignore. Therefore, I was not even able to have "5 standard questions I came up with the night before" because our conversation was largely dictated by what they were currently doing. I must say that forced me to think on my feet and it was probably the best thing for me, I have not heard back yet, but it was definitely the best experience I have had thus far in my search, whatever the outcome turns out to be.
Also make sure if you are sitting on the floor to be brief and concise with what you say, otherwise they will stop paying attention to you.
Interviewed once on the floor of the bank, so just sat with each trader for a while, and the conversation went something like this:
Interviewer: So what university do you go to?
Me: University of ...
2 mins pause
Interviewer: So what university do you go to?
If he can't even remember Cambridge, Nottingham or Manchester, how on earth does he trade?
Well, Cambridge, Nottingham, and Manchester are pretty long names. I would understand if he couldn't remember those... It might be a problem if he couldn't remember MIT, NYU, UPenn, or Duke. Although this wasn't derivstrading's point. haha
Yea the point was that he wasn't even listening to me lol. And to be fair I do come from a non target so cant blame his ears for not being trained for it.
Thanks guys, that was a lot of help!
i've job shadowed at a few banks... just a couple of things:
LOL, definitely this. Whenever I hear someone say that, its open season on hammering them. Then again if they get it all right I'm impressed.
lol Thanks guys, I'll try to be humble when they ask that. Do you guys think it's legit to directly ask one of the traders if he'd like to have me as a summer intern? That is, do traders have the power to hire any summer analysts they want without going through the normal interview processes and through HR?
it would be too cheap to ask such things.. Shadowing trader at BB for more than 2 months, sometimes I felt these people didnt really care shit much about interns... my advice is never try to impress them in a day, it would be impossible.. dont make things awkward by asking such questions. dont blow up at the end of day by asking that.
Dude, if you were a trader, would you decide to hire someone based on one day performance? well if I were in such position, I would probably say, "eh... good luck with your job search"
I shadowed VP and directors and they told me they had no authority going over normal recruiting process...
I think your day at the firm shadowing a trader will be definitely plus for process with that firm.. but dont expect to leverage it to a offer too soon, maybe you will meet that trader in the interview and hopefully he remembers you.
Definitely not, its just awkward. Show you want it by your attitude.
Kara, at a BB no they do not have that type of power. There are some shops where that would may fly but they would be paying for you out of their own P&L.
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