Citadel Interview

Totally just speaking from hearsay, but since you are a CS major (guessing, double in econ/CS?) they will ask you relevant questions to that, absolutely. I'd study up for that. If they are giving you an interview, they definitely have at least a passing interest. They don't interview people they think will bomb out right away. They don't waste time.

I actually had the interview today, and you're right. It was more of a programming job interview than a finance one.

@lullinatalk I'm planning on applying for the ITAP internship later this year. Would you mind listing some of the types of questions that you got asked?

If you're applying for the ITAP program, they really are hoping that you know at least something about tech and computers and can code a little bit. Although if you're really good at math and stats you might get a pass. Again, only repeating what I've heard from the inside. OP, how do you feel you did on the programming questions? Did they push pretty hard?

I think I did pretty well if not because the questions were easy. They were actually easier than the questions you would get from a pretty prestigious tech company. I was interviewed by an alum who also majored in computer science, so I think he had a pretty good idea of what I know and what I don't know. Still, I haven't heard back from them yet.

They asked some math based trading questions and some questions about the industry I researched at my summer internship. Coding was super straightforward, think very short/easy code like reversing a string, etc (I didn't actually get asked to reverse a string but you get the idea). I don't want to reveal the exact question for obvious reasons. Some data structure (concepts). Standard brainteasers.

Also, the 15 minute interview with the recruiter is just to confirm if you have any exploding offers at hand. I don't know what they ask internship applicants.

Check out glassdoor, they usually have good stuff for prop shops/HF's

Other than that, make sure you are good with option theory and probability questions.

So I went through the 1st round. It's mostly all technical questions. Does anyone know how the second round is going to be like?

I also have a phone interview with Citadel's FTAP coming up. What was your phone interview like?

Can someone share what types of technical questions are asked in a FTAP phone interview?

I went the whole process and it seems like the most important thing they are looking for is knowledge in C++, object oriented concepts and an interest in finance. The programming part is actually not super hard, and they are also very impressed if you throw in any knowledge in finance.

most likely no, especially if you have any finance background at all. I ran into this same thing when I was interviewing, anytime they asked me an options question(had zero experience with them and no finance background) in the first round I got dinged, and if they didn't ask one of those questions my conversion rate to 2nd round was much, much higher.

Sorry bud, hard to imagine you got through. Good luck though.

why didnt you learn about options going into an interview with Citadel? I dont see much reason they would give you a second chance, these places know they have their choice of candidates, and most will know their shit back to front.

You're screwed.

There are many other great places to work that aren't Citadel.

Oops. keep your fingers crossed! i just so much hope that he calls you at the end.

I thought the general consensus was that all funds like Citadel and DE Shaw only care about how intelligent you are, since they can easily teach you the finance

what were first round questions like for you?

While lots of the top firms look for raw IQ, if you have anything on your resume, you better be able to go into a lot of detail. Not knowing option pricing and how to derive basic pdf's isnt a good start, but good luck anyway.

OP, could you share some of the questions that were asked to give a sense of how advanced they were, would be useful for eveyrone to see and then help you understand the questions for the future.

To the guy who says these places only care about raw intelligence. That is true to an extent, but in that logic you could say raw intelligence can figure out a lot of options questions on the spot by working through the problem even if you have never learnt the material.

Simple resume walk through. Real relaxed culture over there.

Real relaxed culture over there.

Ha!

I hope you were being sarcastic, but in case you weren't... Citadel definitely does not have a reputation for having a relaxed culture. It's generally considered to be a pretty cutthroat environment.

I need help! I applied for a trader position, but I found out that there is another position called investment and trading associate? Does anyone know the differences? Is a trader more like an execution trader?

Citadel is sick dude, good luck. A buddy from school had an interview with them a few years back and he said it wasn't particularly technical but they gave him a few WAY harder than usual brain teasers... one involved calculating the area in a triangle - the points for which were three random intersections a "pure grid city" - like 83rd and 12th, 21st and 3rd, etc... and he said that each block was 100m... his interviewer said they were interested in "raw intelligence"

I wouldn't put too much stock in that though, it could easily have just been one quirky interviewer.

I need help! I applied for a trader position, but I found out that there is another position called investment and trading associate? Does anyone know the differences? Is a trader more like an execution trader?