Lincoln joined VivCourt as an intern in 2023 and returned in 2025 as a Graduate Trader on the Options desk. He studied Finance, Economics, and Statistics at ANU, graduating top of his class in his honours year. In this Q&A, he shares what the internship process was like, what helped him stand out, and what he’s been learning in his first months on the desk.
What was your experience applying to the internship and the program? I had previously interned at another proprietary trading firm before applying to VivCourt however, online assessments and interviews are always daunting. I’ve found that being well-prepared and able to think clearly under pressure helps immensely – after all, these traits become even more important as a full-time Trader.
My overall experience with the program was extremely positive. There was a strong educational component covering equities and derivatives theory and a practical aspect of open-outcry and simulated trading. We did research projects for two of the desks and spent some time shadowing traders and understanding the different roles in the firm. I learned a lot, really connected with the people here and was lucky enough to be invited back.
You converted your internship into a grad role – what do you think helped you stand out? I think I’m generally a curious person, as well as a sceptic. Financial markets are extremely complex, and to understand them you need to ask questions. Things are rarely simple, so don’t write things off as such. I’m generally quite willing to share my thoughts and to risk being wrong, which I find has allowed me to learn concepts at a deeper level, since I won’t accept a weak understanding of a topic. As always, working hard, showing enthusiasm, and being a good person to your team is important.
Tell us about your role now. I am now trading Options. Being freshly on the desk, my priority is to understand our systems and strategy. I usually come in to work a couple of hours before the market opens, to familiarise myself with the news, overnight market moves and how these may affect our position.
During trading hours I monitor the trades we are making, including how our position changes and what opportunities this creates. After the market closes, there is usually some end-of-day procedure and I’ll chat with my team to review the trading that day.
What I’ve enjoyed most is being surrounded by experienced and intelligent traders who are very generous with their time and efforts to teach me what they know. I look forward to absorbing all their knowledge and getting to the point where I have clear value-add to the team. I’m excited to adopt more responsibilities as my skill set and intuition for the market improves.
