Trader Interview Questions

Trader Interview Questions

In a trader interview, the interviewer likely wants to see that you are knowledgeable about financial markets and have strong opinions about them. Further, you can expect hypothetical questions that test your sales skills and showcase your personality. Speak persuasively and with conviction about the latest news in stocks.

Top Trader Interview Questions & How To Answer

Question 1

Question #1: Pitch me a stock that you would buy or sell now.

How to answer
How to answer: This is an opportunity to demonstrate your sales skills and tell a convincing story about a stock. Choose a company you know well, and be prepared for follow-up questions. Defend your case without wavering.
Question 2

Question #2: What is the riskiest decision you have ever made?

How to answer
How to answer: While trading is a role that requires risk taking, you can use this question to prove that you are thoughtful and well-researched when evaluating risk. Talk through your reasoning, why you determined this was an appropriate risk to take, and what the outcome was. The interviewer might also want to see you confidently stand by your decisions.
Question 3

Question #3. Tell me about something that happened recently in the financial markets and your opinion of it.

How to answer
How to answer: This question is twofold. A successful answer would first prove that you have a genuine interest in stocks and keep up to date with market news, which changes daily. Stay informed by reading reputable financial newspapers regularly. Second, this question allows you to share your unique point of view. Try to show the interviewer that you see value where others may not.

8,651 trader interview questions shared by candidates

Google the game 'Shut the box'. He asked me to figure out the average score someone has at the end of the game if they play the 'optimal' strategy. After getting this number, he wanted to know how this would change if instead of playing the optimal strat, they made random moves. Super open ended problem.
avatar

Quantitative Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4
Mar 29, 2019

Google the game 'Shut the box'. He asked me to figure out the average score someone has at the end of the game if they play the 'optimal' strategy. After getting this number, he wanted to know how this would change if instead of playing the optimal strat, they made random moves. Super open ended problem.

1. find me the angle between the hour and minute hand on the old clock if the time is 14:20 2. If my 3 chickens layed 3 eggs in 3 days. How many eggs would 9 chickens lay in 9 days 3. If I wrote down the numbers 1 to 200 on a piece of paper, how many times would the digit 2 appear 4. the probability of raining on saturday is 0.4, and sunday is 0.5: A. What is the probabaility of raining at least once during the weekend if the events are independent B. If there's positive correlation between the days, how will the answer A change C. given that there can be any sort of correlation between the days. tell me the maximum and minimum to the answer of A 5. the value of a treasure chest is worth uniformly distributed between 1-1000. You can bid any price. If the bidding price is lower than the value, nothing happens. If the bidding price is higher than the value, you must purchase ti at the bidding price, and also have the option to resell it at 1.5 times its original value. What is your strategy
avatar

Assistant Trader

Interviewed at Jane Street

4.4
Oct 7, 2014

1. find me the angle between the hour and minute hand on the old clock if the time is 14:20 2. If my 3 chickens layed 3 eggs in 3 days. How many eggs would 9 chickens lay in 9 days 3. If I wrote down the numbers 1 to 200 on a piece of paper, how many times would the digit 2 appear 4. the probability of raining on saturday is 0.4, and sunday is 0.5: A. What is the probabaility of raining at least once during the weekend if the events are independent B. If there's positive correlation between the days, how will the answer A change C. given that there can be any sort of correlation between the days. tell me the maximum and minimum to the answer of A 5. the value of a treasure chest is worth uniformly distributed between 1-1000. You can bid any price. If the bidding price is lower than the value, nothing happens. If the bidding price is higher than the value, you must purchase ti at the bidding price, and also have the option to resell it at 1.5 times its original value. What is your strategy

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