Tell us about your role at VivCourt.
I’m a quantitative trader on the medium-frequency trading desk, where we mainly focus on optimisation and statistical arbitrage. My day-to-day work often consists of a balance between improving our systems and working on research projects.

Tell us about the graduate program.
There was an eight-week training program where each day consisted of lessons on financial and mathematical theory and a quiz to check in on our learning at the end of each week. There were also projects throughout the program that challenged us to extend what we had learnt in class in novel ways.

There isn’t a need for prior experience or knowledge in financial markets – I had nearly none! The most important thing is to be engaged and willing to learn, especially when faced with new things.

What was the transition from in-class learning to working on a trading desk like?
The lessons taught me foundational trading theory, and shadowing experienced traders helped me learn practical trading skills, making the onboarding process smoother. When I joined a desk, I began quickly familiarising myself with their operations and was able to start tackling more open-ended research projects.

What have you been most excited about since starting at VivCourt?
I’ve always enjoyed tackling challenging analytical problems. So, when I first started at VivCourt, I was most excited about the opportunity to engage with various fascinating and complex problems every day. On top of that, being able to collaborate with and learn from some of the most intelligent people I know is extremely rewarding, and I feel like I’m discovering new things all the time.

How is trading different to your expectations?
I had expected trading to throw plenty of challenging and complicated problems at me, but I was surprised at the variety of ways I could solve them. Often, I find myself pulling ideas from many different academic fields and exploring sources I would have never expected to study, which is also enhanced by the diverse academic backgrounds of traders at VivCourt.

How is collaboration encouraged in your day-to-day work?
I’m always encouraged to ask questions and chat with others about anything at all in my day-to-day work. Whether it’s simple questions on operations or more complex research topics, everyone is always willing to discuss their ideas and lend their help. It makes for a supportive environment where I always feel intellectually stimulated.

What traits are most important for a trader at VivCourt?
Curiosity and willingness to learn are what I have found to be the most essential traits. Rarely is there a time when you know the exact answer to a problem immediately, so it’s often more valuable to dig into these questions and grapple with new ideas actively. I believe these qualities put you in good stead as a trader at VivCourt.