So I am a junior right now but have an on-campus interview with SIG set up next Thursday, for an Assistant Trader internship (for next summer). I've read that they like to ask questions on probability/decision/game theory and that type of thing, but at their info session they said the first round is normally company-wide, so I'm expecting more behavioral questions and whatnot - does that sound right?
I've never interviewed for a position like this before; last summer I worked as a software developer, and those interviews tend to be way trickier than finance interviews from what I can tell.
Does anyone have any examples of specific questions? I pretty much love probability theory and am taking a grad-level class in advanced probability theory / queueing theory / Markov chains / etc right now (having taken a course in mathematical probability theory last semester), but I have never taken an official course in finance or derivatives or whatever.
Also, I've been investing in equities for a while now (opened by first brokerage account when I was 18) but don't trade really at all - will it hurt me in the interview to say that personally I've always been an investor and not a trader for practical reasons?
Thanks for any help!
my first round interview (and second round) were all probability and game theory questions. For game theory, think recursively, for probability, know Bayes Rule. Also, tell them you play poker when they ask you about yourself.
the girl who interviewed me was really hot - that's all I remember
sig is an amazing place
had a similar experience with yesman, first rd was all probability. not one personality question, hardly even spoke to me outside of the math. i bombed it and never got to the next round. i also agree with poker, head of SIG loves poker and actually teaches new employees about poker theory. read sklansky's theory of poker, will also help with probability a bit.
yesman, i think we were interviewed by the same girl.
Hey guys, thanks for the advice. I don't think I'll tell them I play poker, since I don't and hardly ever have, but they were founded by professional poker players (and 3 of the 5 founders still trade).
Jeff Yass' interview in New Market Wizards was epic!
I also have an upcoming interview with them. Anyone have any sample game theory questions or know where I can find some?
I can't remember the exact question, but it was something like "You and your opponent have the goal of forcing the other guy to be the first to say '60'. You must announce numbers in ascending order. You can add to whatever number is said in increments of 1-10. You can choose to go first or second, and the person who goes first can begin with any number between 1 and 10. What is the perfect strategy for winning?"
Classic recursive question: i) You force your opponent to say 60 by being the one to say 59 ii) You get to be the one to say 59 if your opponent says anything between 49 and 58 .....(follow this pattern)
choose to go first, call 4, and from there say whatever 11-your opponent's number is?
Yass also has a poker book: Mathematics of Poker
draw circles of any size (but all must be same size thereafter) on a rectangular piece of paper (also any size). The person who can't draw a circle loses.
You wanna go first or second? What's your plan?
Go first and just draw the largest circle you can fit on the paper so you cannot fit another circle. Instant win :P
Win.
oh my god, my interview with SIG last fall was crushing. Absolutely crushing..
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