Was there a defining lesson from your first internship?
A few lessons stood out to me—both personal and professional. On a personal level, I realized how important it is to genuinely enjoy your work and the people you do it with. Tough days are inevitable in any job, but having supportive teammates makes a huge difference.
Professionally, I started to see that some of the skills that make people successful in trading aren’t technical: sound decision-making, open and honest feedback, and the confidence to ask for help. As a quant trader, you’re constantly working with incomplete information, so having a strong thought process and acting decisively is key. Equally important is the ability to reflect, adapt and improve over time. The best people I worked with never hesitated to ask questions and had a constant drive to learn. That mindset is critical, especially in an industry that’s constantly evolving.
What’s the culture like in the Chicago office?
The Chicago office culture is incredibly collaborative and welcoming, shaped by two core beliefs: good ideas can come from anyone, and your teammates’ success benefits you, too. Unlike other firms, Optiver empowers people to make an impact right away. Quant trading is a fast-moving industry where we need to constantly innovate to remain competitive. Because of this, the firm encourages people to contribute as soon as they step onto the floor.
Support is built into the culture. Whether it’s one-on-one meetings, answering trading questions, or helping move projects forward, people genuinely want each other to succeed. The profit-sharing model reinforces this: when your team does well, everyone benefits. Across the board, the people here are curious, value autonomy, love exploring new challenges, and want to work on cool projects.
