When I embarked on my journey as a trading intern at Optiver, I never imagined how transformative the experience would be. As a Harvard senior majoring in Applied Mathematics, I was looking to apply my theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, but I had no prior financial experience. Optiver gave me the unique opportunity to do so not once but twice—first in their Chicago office and later at their global headquarters in Amsterdam.

These two internships, with the support of my mentors, offered me a comprehensive understanding of trading, enriched by the diverse perspectives of different teams, cultures and market environments. The ability to rotate between offices allowed me to gain the knowledge and understanding to trade real money using my own trading strategies.

My first internship: Chicago

My first summer at Optiver was spent in the Chicago office, where I joined an intensive options theory course led by former traders. During this time, we got a deep dive into the markets— from the basics of trading to an in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of options pricing. I worked alongside other interns, figuring out complex theory questions, and instructors were always available to answer any questions we had. By the end of the training, I felt prepared and eager to begin simulation (SIM) trading.

SIM trading made up a significant part of the internship. I joined a team of other interns as we simulated trading Tesla as a desk. One especially exciting component of SIM trading was the freedom to explore all aspects of trading, from making trades and adjusting prices in real-time to building tools that benefitted everyone. Although we were organised into desks, what made the experience unique was how the entire intern class collaborated as one group, sharing ideas, tools and strategies, leveraging each other’s strengths to improve our collective performance. I personally spent a significant amount of time developing tools and platforms for the intern class to use, which allowed us to improve our trades and track our pricing more accurately. There is always opportunity in the markets, and that holds for SIM trading as well.

As a first-year intern, the trader development team has the sole purpose of cultivating your personal and career growth and assisting you in every step along the way. The team provides direct feedback and guidance on a person-by-person basis and is always available for questions and advice.

My second internship: Amsterdam

The following summer, I took my internship experience to the next level by joining Optiver’s global headquarters in Amsterdam. The first weeks were spent preparing for and passing the SIE, Series 57 and Eurex/Xetra exams, which allowed me to trade in the US markets and the European equivalents.

Once I passed my exams, I joined the trading floor as a trainee, where I used my options theory and SIM trading experience to trade real money in the markets. After gaining experience as a trainee, I joined the main desk and traded alongside the full-time traders, working in the same role.

No factor impacted my experience more than the people—including my mentor, an experienced trader who was always available to answer my questions and walk through theory, systems or trading practices with me. I stayed on the trading floor with my mentor throughout each trading day and learned so much thanks to all the support I received.

Outside of work, I spent a lot of time with the other two-time interns traveling across Europe on the weekends. I spent a lot of time with my intern cohort and have created a network that I will stay connected with throughout my career.

Key takeaways

My experience as a two-time intern at Optiver has opened up countless opportunities. Interning in both the Chicago and Amsterdam offices exposed me to two distinct trading environments, each with strategies shaped by the market conditions of that region.

Throughout this experience, I learned key, foundational concepts of trading and feel prepared and well-rounded to begin as a full-time trader. Despite having no prior trading knowledge, the program set me up for success by guiding me through the option theory course and giving me the opportunity to experiment through SIM trading, both of which translated to my experience on the desk.

The structured support system, from the trader development team to my mentor and my fellow interns, meant I was never alone in the process.

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