I got a trading intern offer from Optiver Amsterdam in their Summer intern program 2023. Optiver has one of the best interview experiences I have seen in a trading firm. Here are a few insights that might help you prepare for the same. I was shortlisted for software and quant roles but finally chose the quant domain.

Insights on the Selection Process

Knowledge of various puzzles came in handy. Quant interviews involved a lot of probability puzzles and games based on expected value (with added time constraints from the interviewers to check how you react under pressure). The best thing I can suggest is to understand market-making well and play estimation and market-making games with your friends. Questions in Software interviews covered advanced DS (heaps and trees), computer principles, and cryptography applications. The majority of them were asked since I have work connected to these on my résumé. Some sections were also related to networking and system design, albeit these subjects were not required to be covered.

Preparation Resources

Easy and medium questions of PQ for quant prep, InterviewBit for DSA practice

Advice for students

The first and most important advice would be to be patient and wait for the right chances instead of jumping into everything. Build a strong academic background related to the profiles you're targeting. Try to be proficient in DSA (and/or maths) skills by the time tests come around. But being sure of yourself and having confidence is important for the talks. Express your thoughts and try to figure out what the interviewer is trying to tell you (trust me, they give a lot of hints). Technical preparation always gives you an edge, but you should also practice what to do when you don't know the answer to a technical question. I think the most important interview skill is being able to respond well under pressure, even when you don't know anything about the question or topic. Be patient, prepare well, and say what's on your mind. Best wishes!