Day in the life: Quant trader intern

Meet Jashun

• Quantitative trader intern at Optiver Chicago
• Studies at Rice University
• Majoring in Biochemistry and Computer Science

 

When I was deciding where to spend my summer, Optiver stood out as the best place to explore quant trading and develop my skills. I was drawn to the firm’s strong culture of internal support and how they focus on long-term development. I also can’t complain about the amazing location and food in the Chicago office!

Coming into the 

, I was especially excited to learn from the trader development team. The education is top-tier and the thing I was most looking forward to was simulated trading. Optiver’s sim trading platform is entirely unique to the firm and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

6:30 AM—Morning routine

Most mornings start around 6:30 for me. I like to hop in the shower right away to wake myself up before heading to the office. I usually walk over with a few of the other interns—we’ll joke around and hype each other up about all the sick trades we’re going to make that day.

7:30 AM—Arrival in the office

Once I get to the office, I head straight to my desk to start booting up my workspace. While everything’s loading, I make my way over to the coffee bar—lately I’ve been into the matcha lemonade. I’ll usually grab a chia pudding cup while I catch up with a few of the other interns about what happened overnight in the markets.

To prepare for the day, our team spends about 15 minutes going over the news together. We’ll bounce around ideas and share our takes on what we think might play out during the day. Then we head into the morning standup with the full intern class, where we all check in and develop a clear plan going into the day.

10:00 AM—Desk work

Lately, I’ve been trading options that expire within the next week, which also happen to be some of the most actively traded. Beyond that, I’ve been digging into modeling work to help form opinions on how prices might change throughout the day.

One of the most exciting sim trading moments happened when a new battery tariff was announced, and the market couldn’t really decide how to react. Prices were all over the place for a solid 15 minutes. During that window, we were buying low and selling high over and over again.

I’ve also been building skills beyond the trades themselves. Communicating quickly and clearly with teammates has been huge as we’re constantly coordinating to execute trades across the different desks. I’ve also been pushed to think more quantitatively about risk and reward in real time. You don’t always have perfect information, but you have to make good decisions fast. And even with all the collaboration, there’s still a lot of independence. I’ve had the freedom to test out my own ideas and explore different strategies. As long as it contributes to both my growth and the team’s, it’s fair game. That balance of support and autonomy has been one of the coolest parts of the experience so far.

12:00 PM—Lunch

Once noon rolls in, I usually grab lunch with one of my teammates and whoever else is stepping off the desk at the same time.

1:00 PM—Project work

Outside of trading, I’ve had the chance to work on some really interesting projects that have pushed me to think strategically and technically. A few weeks ago, we built trading bots in teams to trade different contracts based on Wimbledon players. It was a great way to learn the ins and outs of building autotraders. We spent a lot of time refining our strategies, figuring out what worked for us, and learning how to lean into our strengths as a group.

More recently, I’ve been working with my team on some historical data analysis ahead of Tesla’s quarterly earnings. We’re trying to estimate how much we expect the stock to move post-announcement and think through how to price it. It’s a cool intersection of data, prediction, and market intuition. I’ve also been doing a bit of light scripting on the side—just small automations that make our lives easier during the trading day.

Through these projects, I’ve gotten way more comfortable with data analysis and all the different tools we’ve been given access to. A big part of the learning curve has been around iterating quickly; coming up with a bunch of ideas, weighing the pros and cons of each, and then selecting the one that feels like it has the best potential payoff.

3:00 PM—Coffee chats

One of the most valuable parts of the internship so far has been working with my mentor. We usually catch up every couple of days. Just a casual check-in to talk through how the day went and to throw around any questions I have (which seems like an unending stream). He’s been a phenomenal resource throughout the internship.

What’s been especially cool is getting to shadow him while he trades. Being able to sit next to him, watch how he makes decisions in real time, and ask questions about his thought process on the spot has challenged my own thought processes and helped me think more critically.

4:00 PM—Wrap-up and reflection

At the end of each day, we kick things off with an afternoon standup where all the interns get together to debrief. We’ll talk through any big news or pricing shifts that happened and share perspectives on how we handled the day. We usually spend close to an hour digging into our trades: what we did, why we did it, and whether our reasoning and execution were sound. In addition to what we did do, we also talk about what we didn’t do and how we can spot those opportunities better next time. We always end the session by planning for the next day, setting a few small but actionable goals we can hit to steadily improve.

If there’s one thing I’ve taken away so far, it’s that working on a team is hard and it can be challenging to communicate effectively in high-pressure situations. But I’ve also learned how important it is to keep things lighthearted. Not every trade is going to go our way, and that’s okay. As long as we’re learning from it, it’s still valuable.

Another big takeaway? Don’t tunnel vision. It’s easy to get locked in on a single idea, but markets don’t sit still. Being adaptable and responsive to different signals is what keeps us in the game. And above all, preparation is everything. Forming clear and concise plans with my teammates has been instrumental to our success.

5:30 PM—After work

After we wrap up for the day, I always squeeze in a few games of ping pong with the other interns—it’s become a bit of a post-market ritual. Once I leave the office, I like to keep moving. Sometimes I’ll go for a jog through the nearby neighborhoods, but lately, a few of us have gotten really into pickleball. We’ll head over to the courts at Grant Park and get some good rallies in before winding down.

Evenings are pretty chill. I’ll either cook something simple or grab a bite out (there are tons of options around). After dinner, I usually hop on a call with family or friends, just to catch up and decompress a bit. Then I’ll play some video games to unwind until around 10, when I start getting ready for bed and mentally reset for the next day.

Weekends have been a blast, too. A bunch of us interns have made it a mission to try a new restaurant or two every weekend. Some of the social highlights so far: we watched fireworks at Navy Pier, played laser tag at Whirlyball, and of course, caught a baseball game and did the classic architecture boat tour together. We’ve also been exploring the city’s museums—the natural science museum and the Chicago Cultural Center have been my favorites so far.

This internship has completely reshaped how I understand trading. Coming in, I had zero financial background, but that changed fast. I got up to speed quickly through learning options theory and tons of practical experience through project work and simulated trading. I’ve walked away with a much more well-rounded perspective on what trading actually involves.

My favorite moments so far have been those times when I come up with a solid idea, really understand why it’s a good idea, and then actually execute on it. There’s nothing like getting a strong trade off in sim and knowing the logic behind it was sound.

If you’re thinking about this role, my biggest advice is: have fun with it. This internship is such a unique experience. It’s all about growth, exploration, and pushing yourself in new directions. Say yes to opportunities, even if they feel outside your comfort zone, and definitely take time to explore the city while you’re here. Chicago has so much to offer, and it’s all part of what makes this summer unforgettable.

 

Ready to start your career journey? Explore our open roles.