Power Trader interview?
Hi, everyone! I was wondering about receiving some advice for an FTR trader interview (mostly focusing on northeastern markets). Previously I have interned as an analyst assisting traders with DA/RT markets, supporting mostly long-term auctions.
I mostly know how to do power flow analysis to find opportunities for traders, especially based on transmission project upgrades. I have seen traders do other sorts of analysis such as LMP analysis. I have also seen them leverage dfax and other information from transmission upgrades as well as using shadow price and rating data. However, I did not perform those analyses.
Besides my skills as a power flow analyst, I also worked as a software developer so I have a good set of skills in Python, SQL, and Excel (not too worried about these).
Do you have a specific question(s)?
I never interviewed for an FTR Trader before, so I would like to know what kind of questions might come up.
Disclosure: I'm not an FTR trader/analyst but work closely w/ the ones on my desk.
Right off the bat, there would be differences in the interview depending on the type of shop (retail, gen, spec); that will vary questions I would expect to see. Bidding on FTRs as gen/retail is "I need these" vs. spec is "there's value here."
I'm having trouble following your level of experience, you interned on a desk; do you have any more experience? The FTR trader/analyst market is pretty hot right now lots of people are getting looks but from what I've heard preference is same as always (previous FTR analyst or FTR trader, 5 yrs either way)
Also, to clarify, I did get an interview with a power trading shop which is why I am asking about it.
Hey.
DM me if you want. The question regarding potential questions is very broad. Depends on the shop, the role, and the quant level of the fund/company.
You have never run risk, but applying for an FTR trader role? You sure this is not a role to groom into a risk role similar to what you did before.
If grooming role, the focus will be on how you think and how you come about ideas / build models. You said your specialty or success was on "Transmission Upgrades" which makes sense you just have to prove out you did it on your own and can do it again.
If it is in fact someone willing to give you a shot a risk taking role. Then you best be able to say how you plan to make money tomorrow, are you going to trade virts/DA/RT. What data sources/modeling/IT you need to build your models and how quickly you can get them going. How much capital your auctions will take and strategies. So on...
If its to support the head FTR guy, then it will be in between both where the expectation is you can trade virts and take positions. While continue building out the models you already have done.
Lastly, FTRs are hot right now and will continue to be...cause the math and "details" in the models are getting harder and harder to capture. Anyone who can manage all that math and grind it out is going to be a hot commodity. But like any trading profession that is more "quant leaning"...quants do not have patience to teach people usually and prefer someone who has all the experience and adds value asap (hence the preference for more experience).
FTR's are a pain in the ass.
What do you mean by the math/details are getting harder to capture?
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