We recently sat down with Steph, a FutureFocus alumna and now intern, as she reflected on her program experience. She shared interesting insights, from what drew her to apply, to her biggest learnings and what she enjoyed most in the program.

FutureFocus transformed her perception of the trading industry, helping her discover the exciting problems she’ll get to work on every day. Even now, two years down the track, Steph has continued her career journey with Optiver, having interned with us recently and soon returning as a Software Developer Graduate.

Meet Steph

Location: Sydney, Australia

University: University of Sydney

Degree: Software Engineering and Science, majoring in Data Science

Steph’s FutureFocus experience

Q: What drew you to apply for Optiver’s FutureFocus program?

A: During my second year of study, I started exploring what career opportunities are available for my degree. I found that I mostly enjoyed lower-level programming using languages like C, and through research, discovered that market-making firms tend to use a lot of C/C++.

When I started looking into market-making firms, I discovered Optiver and the company’s reputation as one of the top firms in Australia stood out to me. Intrigued by the software engineering opportunities in trading, I applied for FutureFocus to gain a better understanding of the industry. I honestly didn’t know much about trading before joining Optiver, but I have since learnt that it is a fun and challenging field to work in, which is evolving very rapidly!

Q: How is the FutureFocus program structured?

A: The program was a fun and engaging way to learn about the market making and trading industry. It offers a good mix of theoretical classroom-style learning and hands-on application through trading games and bot-building activities. We’ll also have opportunities to meet Optiverians and connect with them during social events.

Led by in-house experts, Optiver’s programs are well-designed and can be adapted to the participant’s varying levels of understanding/background knowledge, ensuring that everyone will walk away with new learnings and insights on either the company or wider industry.

Q: What did you enjoy most about the program?

A: One of my program highlights was building a trading bot in Python within small teams, and then competing to see who can achieve the highest P&L using a naive strategy. It was a great way to see how basic trading can be automated, whilst having a friendly competition!

The Poker tournament on the final night of the three-day program was also a memorable way to end the program. We bonded over the games as a cohort and had plenty of opportunities to further connect with Optiverians.

But most importantly, FutureFocus enabled us to experience Optiver’s vibrant culture firsthand. This gave me confidence that Optiver was the right place for me. We met many bright and intelligent people throughout the program, and I learnt so much from everyone. I completed the program with a clear sense of purpose and determination to become a part of the team in the future.

Q: Has FutureFocus changed your perspective on the trading industry?

A: The program highlighted how much of an engineering problem trading is, and how the industry is continually evolving with technological advancements, like AI or Machine learning. This perspective helped me realise why the market making industry is so appealing to engineers, as you get to work on so many interesting problems within a fast-paced and technologically advanced environment.

Q: What has been your biggest learnings over the three days?

A: FutureFocus provided me with valuable insights into the trading industry and allowed me to apply my skills in a real-world setting. The support and guidance from the team have been incredible, and I’ve learnt so much about both software engineering and trading. Before the program, I had limited knowledge on the industry and why market makers exist. FutureFocus has helped me:

• Deepen my understanding on the world of quantitative trading.
• Build a solid foundation in trading theory and language.
• Develop my networking skills, as I met new peers and Optiverians throughout the program.

By the end of the program, I also had a better grasp on some of the problems that Optiver works on and why engineering is such an important aspect of trading – something that left me wanting to learn more about.

Her transition to becoming an intern

Q: Do interns have opportunities to contribute to significant projects at Optiver?

A: Interns are given a lot of independence at Optiver and can contribute to real, production-facing software. Under mentorship, interns are guided to have the confidence to take their own direction with their projects and have business impact. Since Optiver’s stakeholders are internal, we get the opportunity to directly talk to the people involved in the project, and work with them to design and implement a solution.

Q: What elements of Optiver’s culture have made the strongest impression on you?

A: The people are what makes Optiver unique. Everyone I have met has been bright and passionate, and there is always something to learn off everyone you meet. There is also a compelling feeling at Optiver that we are always trying to be better and find ways to improve what we do. Everyone’s ideas are valued here, even those of an intern or junior.

Q: What kinds of projects do you usually work on as an intern at Optiver?

A: At Optiver, a lot of projects revolve around making new tools for trading – whether that is making new apps to help traders make faster, better decisions, or handling the enormous amounts of data generated by markets. My team mainly focuses on the software that allows us to execute trades and handle the information we receive from the exchanges about our orders.

However, last summer, my internship project was quite different. It involved creating a new application to save time and efforts for developers and traders in their common workflow to review application logs. There is also a lot of variety in the different kinds of projects you could be working on during the internship program.

Q: Any advice for students that are looking to apply?

A: The best way to decide if a career in the trading industry is right for you, is to give it a go! You don’t need to study a finance-related degree to excel at Optiver. No prior market making or trading knowledge is required – all you’ll need is a healthy dose of curiosity and a willingness to learn.

When I started university, I wasn’t sure where I would end up working with my degree and didn’t really have a plan. A quantitative skillset can take you plenty of places, so seeking out opportunities in different industries and trying things is the best way to figure out what you’ll enjoy. That’s what helped me figure out Optiver was a good fit for me – seeking opportunities to have a go.

Start your journey

If you’re inspired by Steph’s story and are interested in joining Optiver’s FutureFocus program, discover the page below.