What first attracted you to Optiver?
I was doing internships in my final years of university and I was finding that the exclusively lengthy project work and low interaction wasn’t working for me. As I searched for other options, I found that the proprietary trading industry was known for being fast-paced and challenging. It was a short step to discover that within the industry, Optiver was the best.
What does your role entail?
As a trader, I am trying to find an edge in the market and capture it. During the market session, this means synthesising a multitude of signals to come up with the right trade at that moment and then guiding our systems towards executing it. Outside of these times, I do market research or work on various projects to improve our results during market hours.
What key skills are required?
Logical reasoning, drive, communication, performing under pressure.
What are some of the projects you are working on (non-confidential)?
One continuous responsibility of mine is monitoring the performance of our auto traders. This ranges from determining if they are executing on the right signals to analysing aggregate trade data and improving our automated strategies.
How do you start your day at Optiver?
I start the day by looking at what happened in various products overnight and reading the news. We then have a team chat about the bigger picture trades and risks we are thinking about.
What do you love about your work?
Challenging, engaging, fast feedback, working with smart people, meritocracy.
What keeps you motivated?
Every day is a fresh day with new problems.
What’s your advice to potential applicants?
The best way to know if trading is a fit for you is to find someone in the industry to have a coffee with. This allows you to get a personalised view and ask any questions you might have.