Chicago Trading Company

QTA Intern

June - August 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

- Comprehensive education program - Awesome firm-wide culture - Interesting, stimulating summer projects - Fully-stocked office with great food

What I wish was different

- The education component is crammed into the first 2 weeks and sometimes moves too fast—stretching out just a few more days would help - Housing (intern apartments) placed next to a rail line!

Advice

1 One person found this helpful

QTA Intern

June 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Wonderful people who are always willing to answer your questions and motivate you to be better.

What I wish was different

Advice

Go into it with an open mind and a desire to learn.

1 One person found this helpful

Software Engineering Intern

June 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

If you apply here, you'll hear a lot of employees talk about how great the environment is here and that it sets them apart from other companies. From my internship experience, they weren't lying. I have walked up to employees that I have never talked to before, and they will explain their work to me or offer help for my own project if they can. I haven't had an experience where I felt worried about approaching someone and striking up a conversation. Additionally, CTC has a strong emphasis on intern experiences, allowing all of the interns to become close quickly. My favorite part of the program is that we all live in the same apartment building, so we see each other as much as we want and can plan fun bonding activities. Also, Chicago is a great place to be in the summer!

What I wish was different

We take a lot of classes, which I understand is part of the education program, but it slows down work on my actual project. This is something that you'll just have to push through.

Advice

Expect to have a heavy workload. If you're looking to work in finance, then this is to be expected, but if not, then be aware that this internship requires a lot more time than internships in different industries (from my knowledge). The first week is the hardest, so once you get past that, it's mostly uphill.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Software Engineer Intern

June - August 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The company works hard to make interns feel welcome and included! The culture is super welcoming ad the work was very stimulating. Throughout the internship, you learn about many different topics like trading, market making, quant-focused coding, and software development in finance. There was also an extensive amount of mentorship and support for the interns.

What I wish was different

Between all of the different things you're expected to do here, it is hard to effectively prioritize what you're most passionate about, whether that's software development or trading.

Advice

Be ready to learn a great deal of information about a variety of topics.

1 One person found this helpful

Software Engineering Intern

May 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

CTC has a very well structured internship program, with lots of events planned for the interns and their mentors throughout the summer. The first week consisted of a course on the Basics of Options, which everyone took regardless of their internship role, which taught us a lot and gave us a lot of necessary context and supplementary information for our summer projects. There are multiple other courses that the intern class takes throughout the summer related to market making and quantitative analysis. The teachers for these courses all have a ton of industry experience so they are great at what they do. I really like how education-focused the internship experience is. They also put us in nearby student housing, which they pay for, that is a short walk from the office and also a short walk from Millennium Park and all that the Chicago Loop has to offer. CTC also provides breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, which is a huge plus.

What I wish was different

Advice

Don’t expect an easy mindless internship, there is a lot to learn, and you need to be willing to work hard to succeed in the trading industry.

1 One person found this helpful

QTA Intern

June 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I think the internship is really intellectually stimulating and caters projects towards your interest such that you can apply what youve been learning in school to a real experience

What I wish was different

Advice

1 One person found this helpful

Quant Trading Analyst Intern

June - August 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Very engaging experience! The internship is organized around the interns learning as much as possible about quant trading and market making. The program is thoughtfully organized and well-structured. There were few moments where I felt like I had nothing to do or was just letting the time pass, which I have found to be a common problem in other internships. However, interns were not overworked or super busy. Hours and expectations were very reasonable. Everyone I interacted with at the company was kind and interested in my development and success. I particularly appreciated working with and learning from my assigned manager and mentor, and from the dedicated classroom instruction. The office is well stocked with snacks, enjoys a decent social life, and is a very comfortable place to work.