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Moving Over From Top Tech

lseactuary

Joined
4/9/16
Messages
30
Points
18
I work on the business/product side of a top tech firm and am looking for a new challenge. I started researching prop trading firms for junior trader type roles and they have open roles I seem to fit the criteria for. I applied to a couple, scored interviews, aced the competency and experience ques but completely bombed the brainteasers as I was not prepared.

Can someone point me in the right direction for what books/apps/etc I can learn the brainteasers from? It is becoming my main roadblocker from moving forwards. Or am I just not intelligent enough as I should be able to ace these naturally?

Thank you in advance.
 
lseactuary said:
That is the feedback they gave. In one pro trading place the interview started was entirely brainteasers and after 3 questions the guy literally gave up asking and rejected me on the spot.
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I would walk away from that place and not think twice about it. Do you want to work for a guy who doesn't know how to interview?
 
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For what it's worth, I disagree with the other guy. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

OP here's what you are looking for. You can most certainly prepare for it and there's a reasonable chance you'll be asked a question that you have seen before.

Amazon.com: Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews (9780970055293): Timothy Falcon Crack: Books.

It's pretty much the bible for prop trading interviews. Its also helpful to look on Glassdoor for the companies you are interview for. Questions tend to be similar.

However, here's a warning. While these prop shops may interview a lot of people, there's practically no trader/junior that I know from a business/tech background, especially at the more reputable firms.
 
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BeepImaJeep said:
For what it's worth, I disagree with the other guy. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

OP here's what you are looking for. You can most certainly prepare for it and there's a reasonable chance you'll be asked a question that you have seen before.

Amazon.com: Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews (9780970055293): Timothy Falcon Crack: Books.

It's pretty much the bible for prop trading interviews. Its also helpful to look on Glassdoor for the companies you are interview for. Questions tend to be similar.

However, here's a warning. While these prop shops may interview a lot of people, there's practically no trader/junior that I know from a business/tech background, especially at the more reputable firms.
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Thanks for the link!

For the last comment - is that because people with a business/tech/product background don't make good traders or they prefer hiring a different type of person? What would I need to do to work at such a firm?

I trade my own money for fun using a couple of strategies I tweaked/demo'd and have a stats/finance/actuarial degree from a 'target'. Getting the interview is less a problem vs getting through the brainteasers hence I posted. Would love to hear your thoughts if I am shooting in the dark though.

Perhaps Strats or something would be more suitable?
 
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Do people with business/tech/product make good traders? That's hard to say. There isn't a lot of precedence, especially recently. The skill sets used are not really overlapping, but it's not like the ivy-league undergrads that are coming directly from college that you are competing against have anything special over you.

Do they have a hiring bias? I don't think so. I'd like to think it's fairly meritocratic. However, for whatever reason, there isn't a lot of racial/gender/background diversity.

Ace the brainteasers/math. It's by far the most influential factor. Good luck.
 
BeepImaJeep said:
Do people with business/tech/product make good traders? That's hard to say. There isn't a lot of precedence, especially recently. The skill sets used are not really overlapping, but it's not like the ivy-league undergrads that are coming directly from college that you are competing against have anything special over you.

Do they have a hiring bias? I don't think so. I'd like to think it's fairly meritocratic. However, for whatever reason, there isn't a lot of racial/gender/background diversity.

Ace the brainteasers/math. It's by far the most influential factor. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Understood and appreciate the heads up!
 
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