Resume and Cover letter review* looking for an opportunity to intern in market maker like optiker and IMC
I am a fourth year finance student who is looking for an opportunity to work in trading firms. I understand it is rare for people who don't have outstanding education background to apply for elite company such as Optiver. But I am not a quitter, and not matter how long it takes I will do my best to become a trader in one of these firms. So could anyone give me some tips about what I can improve to catch the recruiter's attention and perhaps increase my competency among all the applicants?
| Attachment | Size |
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| cover_letter_for_optiver.doc 27.5 KB | 27.5 KB |
| pei_li_resume.pdf 182.5 KB | 182.5 KB |
1st paragraph of cover letter should be deleted, sounds like youre begging for it, starting by begging isnt gonna take you anywhere.
2nd paragraph is good but could be cut by 50%, try to make it short enough for a quick read.
"Optiver is the perfect place for me because I am the living proof of commitment, determination and motivation" try I am a great fit at Optiver thanks to x, y z instead. dont try too hard.
"The evidence paragraph" is an excellent story, maybe you could just make it slightly shorter.
"committed to taking on new challenges and thriving in a fast-paced environment" common toxic words that every applicant on the planet has used, better to come up with something authentic.
"I firmly believe in what Optiver does" they dont care about your feelings, you already let them know that youre interested in what they do before, repetitions aint good. "will take great honor in being a part of it" trying too hard again. "I kindly ask you for a chance to believe in me, too. " straight up begging.
I would instead suggest that you include in your cover letter some technical terms of skills that you can bring to the table. All your letter is drafted as a demand with nothing to offer except commitment
For CV:
delete "Mo�vated and intellectually curious finance student with extensive experience in customer service, leadership, and accoun�ng. A strong team player with the ability to handle mul�ple projects and thrives in a fast-paced environment. Views new and difficult challenges as an opportunity to learn and contribute"
"Core competencies include : Forecasting" forecasting what exactly? very vague
Given the competition at these firms and your peers, I think you will not stand a chance except if you go intern in a small shop to have some relevant experience before applying. but who knows, you might get lucky.
Thank you for your feedback! I wasn't aware of my tone could sound so begging since I am a nonnative speaker. This really helps!
And you mentioned my letter is drafted as a demand with nothing to offer except commitment. I was trying to express my hard skills I've acquired from my experience and education in the 2nd paragraph. Is it not specific enough to show what I could bring to the company? should I start a new paragraph after 2nd one in regards to specify how I could bring my value to the operation?
Exactly, you should actually tell them what you can add to the trading desk and how you can contribute.
Maybe someone who knows exactly how their operation works on this forum can help you. I dont know much but I heard that they focus heavily on programming and quantitative approaches. Which means you should know your programming and advanced mathematics (distributions, probabilities etc..) but not totally sure, google it.
If you want my advice, without drafting more cover letters and wasting your time, try to learn C or Python (you can do it and earn a certificate from Algorithmic Traders Association) and try to go to a firm like Amplify Trading for Proprietary Trading internship in London while doing that, your CV will look a lot better for Optiver after that. Only take this road if you cant land anything else. You will have to pay for Amplify and for the CAT.
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