How To Prepare For A Graduate Trader Interview

Interviewing can be a stressful and intimidating process, particularly in a virtual setting, but it needn’t be. Our Graduate Recruitment team have shared a few tips so that you can embark on your interview process with confidence.   

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Do your research

The more you know about us, the more you can dig into what is important to you during the interview. Make sure you have read our website pages, understand what we do as a business and check out reviews from peers or former colleagues.

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Don’t let a lack of experience put you off, passion is key!

Trading experience it is not essential. We value candidates who can demonstrate a passion and genuine interest in the financial markets. We’d love to hear about societies or groups you are part of, courses you have enrolled in or even books you have read.  

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Prepare and make a good first impression

- Don't be late for your interviews. If you have any issues making the times, please let your interviewer know well in advance.

- Double check timings (including time zones BST, GMT etc).

- It is always worthwhile checking you can connect via the link that we send you and testing your audio and microphone.

- Do a speed test to make sure your internet is working well

- We don’t expect you to wear a suit, you are very welcome to if you like, but in any case make an effort to present yourself well

- Check your background – either use a virtual background or check what is visible in your background before you join

- Think about background noise which could be a distraction both to you and the interviewers

- Don’t get distracted, try to remain focused.  Keep your phone away and on silent.

- Questions are so important to show your interest, so make sure you have at least one, but ideally two questions to ask at the end.

At Mako, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all candidates. We want all of our candidates to feel comfortable throughout the interview process, so if you feel like you need any reasonable adjustments, please make us aware so that we can make these arrangements.

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The interview process

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Stage 1: Aptitude test

After submitting your C.V. we will send you a short online aptitude test. Once we have reviewed your test results, we will contact you an update on the progress of your application.

Stage 2: First round interview

Our first round interviews are approximately 30 minutes. You will meet with a member of our Human Resources and Graduate Recruitment team. They will ask you questions on a number of different topics including your educational history, some competency based questions and your suitability for the role of Graduate Trader.  You will also get the opportunity to ask some questions.

Stage 3: Second round interviews

Second round comprises two 30 minute sessions with senior traders from across the business which will go deeper into understanding your skill set and capability. It will include a combination of mathematical and problem solving questions along with assessing your motivations for the role.

Stage 4: Communication of decision

We will be in touch with you as soon as we have come to decision on your application.

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External resources

·       Investopedia is a useful free resource for financial services generally, we advise candidates to look at the 'market making' and 'options' pages to learn more about what we do as a business.

·       Here is a helpful website all about market makers with explanations about the services they provide to the financial community: https://wearemarketmakers.com

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