Career Kickstarter Tech: The ‘why’ behind every trading system

We caught up with Anca, a recent participant who has since joined Optiver as a full-time Software Engineer, to hear how the program shaped her journey – from discovering high-frequency trading for the first time to finding confidence in her career path.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I studied Computer Science at Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania, where I also did a master’s in Artificial Intelligence. Prior to joining Optiver, I worked as a Full-Stack Software Engineer on a variety of projects, ranging from a car dealership platform to a medical application for the European Union. So I already had some engineering experience, but mostly in more traditional software environments.

Why did you want to want to apply for Career Kickstarter, and what were you hoping to get out of the experience?

I wanted to see what it’s actually like to work in a high-frequency trading firm – to understand the technology, the kinds of problems being solved, and what the culture is like behind it all.

In Romania, there isn’t that much awareness about trading firms yet. Until recently, I didn’t really know what they did or if they even hired from my country. But then some people at my university started applying and talking about their experiences, so I became curious and started researching on my own.

Optiver’s program stood out because it felt serious and well thought out.

Before joining, did you have any expectations or worries about working in a male-dominated field?

In Romania, computer science is actually quite balanced – my classes were around 50/50, and a lot of my team leads were women. So I’d never experienced the kind of imbalance I’d heard existed in finance.

I was also a bit nervous that I’d be expected to already know everything. That if I made a mistake, it’d be seen as a bad sign. But that fear completely disappeared after the first day. The trainers created such a comfortable environment where it didn’t matter if you got something wrong – what mattered was thinking out loud, asking questions and learning together. It made me realise that speaking up, even when you’re unsure, is much more valuable than staying quiet.

That mindset has really stayed with me, even now in the Academy.

Was there a particular session in the program that stood out to you?

Yes, the System Design session with Zuotian and Fred. We started from scratch, talking about what an exchange system actually does, and broke it down together. What data comes in? What do we send out? What needs to happen in between?

It was all leading up to us building our own version of an exchange in teams, so everything we discussed had a purpose.

At one point, I gave a design suggestion, and the trainer smiled and said, “Is that what would work best in a live trading scenario?” That moment clicked. I realised I’d jumped straight to a solution without really understanding the problem. It’s a completely different kind of challenge than what I’m used to, which made me want to explore more.

What I found most interesting was how the technical priorities in trading are so different from those in other industries. In my previous roles, the goal was always high availability, meaning that your system should never crash. But in trading, it’s actually better to restart completely than to risk acting on inconsistent data. That completely changed the way I thought about system design.

How did the experience change your view of what tech careers at Optiver are like?

It gave me a completely different view. I realised how much potential there is for growth – not just technically, but personally too. Everyone is incredibly talented, but it never felt competitive. People genuinely want you to succeed.

I never felt like I was being assessed. The trainers gave constant feedback and genuinely cared about our progress, even knowing not everyone would receive an offer. It always felt like they were there to help us improve.

We also weren’t isolated in one room for the week. We got to meet engineers across the company, so it felt like we were part of the team.

Now that you’ve joined as a full-time graduate and are getting onboarded at the Optiver Academy, how do you think the program prepared you for this step?

The program gave me a strong foundation in both technical and trading concepts, and now I can really see how everything connects.

During Career Kickstarter, we focused a lot on the exchange side of trading, understanding how orders are processed and how systems communicate. Now, at the Academy, I’m seeing the other side: how the pricing engines are built and how all those components interact. It’s helping me piece together the full picture of how trading technology works in practice.

What I love most is that the sessions are led by people who actually built these systems from the ground up, sometimes 10 or 15 years ago. You get to ask questions directly to the people who designed the tools we’re now learning to use, and that’s pretty special.

What would you tell other women in engineering or computer science who are thinking about applying?

Be bold from day one. Don’t hold back from asking questions or sharing your ideas, even if you’re unsure. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn when you just speak up and stay curious.

And don’t worry if you don’t have any finance knowledge. I came in with no experience in that area, and the way Optiver explains things makes it feel very intuitive. The trainers guide you through concepts in a way that feels natural, like you’re discovering the logic yourself.

The program really does challenge you, but in the best way possible. It pushes you to understand things deeply, not just at a surface level. In my previous roles, there were always parts of the system that stayed a bit of a black box – you’d make assumptions and move on.

If you could give your past self advice before applying, what would it be?

I’d tell myself to stop overthinking and just apply. You’ll come out of it feeling more confident, more inspired, and with a much clearer sense of what you want to do next.

Ready to engineer your future?

Optiver’s Career Kickstarter: Women in Tech program is designed to help you explore what a career in technology within trading really looks like. Across five days in Amsterdam, you’ll take part in coding workshops, team projects and mentorship sessions with our engineers, while building the skills and confidence to launch your career.