Process
I applied for a Software Engineer New Grad position and received an email the next day for an assessment.
The assessment included:
- Two coding questions (one LeetCode Easy and one Medium, mostly on stocks/trading types). I cleared all test cases for both.
- Twenty multiple-choice questions, primarily on network protocols.
- A Zap-N test (some brain games).
I did well on the other two parts as well. However, I received a straight rejection after two days, and I don't know what went wrong.
I used Java and Python to solve the coding questions. I suspect this could be the reason, as these trading companies often focus solely on C++.
Questions
OA questions:
-
Future Pricing
-
Worst Trade Reporter
Was this helpful?
Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 8 interview experiences for the Optiver Software Engineer New Grad role in United States.
Success Rate
0%
Pass Rate
Optiver's interview process for their Software Engineer New Grad roles in the United States is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Positive50%
Neutral38%
Negative13%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Optiver's Software Engineer New Grad interview process in United States.
Optiver Work Experiences
1.0
Good Learning, Grueling Exam
Software Engineer New Grad • Current Employee
December 18, 2023
Pros: Good experiences, and I can know what level of knowledge they are expecting.
Cons: The exam is so long, and one needs to be fast to play those games.
5.0
By far the best place I have worked in my 15+ year career
Applications Engineer • Current Employee
Chicago, Illinois, United States
December 28, 2017
Pros: I have worked at two large and successful companies and one smaller government position since graduating college. Working at these other companies really lets me appreciate working at Optiver and all the benefits therein.
Compensation - Salary, bonus, health insurance, 25 vacation days on top of all the market holidays, and the dollar-for-dollar 401k match make the compensation top-tier.
Culture - Incredibly strong culture. Almost everyone working here checks their ego at the door, and the best ideas win. The focus is on long-term growth and doing the right things not only for Optiver but for the market.
Executives / Leadership - The people steering the ship at Optiver not only have great vision and insight; they know their employees and hang out and have a beer on Fridays after work.
Outlook - Amazing outlook and growth. Optiver Chicago is the best at pricing options on the SP500 complex globally. Seeing the current trend of money moving into passive index funds, Optiver is poised to keep growing even in a low-volatility market.
Work/Life Balance - The after-hours and weekend work here is very limited and much less than when I worked at other large companies. You are treated like a person here, and if you have a family emergency, people will go out of their way to cover for you.
Perks - Coffee barista, catered breakfast and lunch, huge variety of snacks and drinks, ping pong table, pool table, weekly massage, beer and wine available after work. All free.
Cons: Optiver is a flat organization. Overall, I think being flat is better, but it could feel like growth is limited.
You have to work at a high level each and every day. Once again, I feel like this is a benefit. If you are not performing over a sustained period, you will eventually get cut, but this makes Optiver stronger as there is no dead weight.
4.0
Fast Feedback, Long Oa
Software Development Engineer (SDE) • Current Employee
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
March 13, 2024
Pros: Feedback is very quick, and HR reaches out very soon after the OA.
Cons: OA is very long and took me about 3:30 mins. It took time.
- 1.0Good Learning, Grueling ExamSoftware Engineer New Grad • Current EmployeeDecember 18, 2023Pros: Good experiences, and I can know what level of knowledge they are expecting.Cons: The exam is so long, and one needs to be fast to play those games.
- 5.0By far the best place I have worked in my 15+ year careerApplications Engineer • Current EmployeeChicago, Illinois, United StatesDecember 28, 2017Pros: I have worked at two large and successful companies and one smaller government position since graduating college. Working at these other companies really lets me appreciate working at Optiver and all the benefits therein. Compensation - Salary, bonus, health insurance, 25 vacation days on top of all the market holidays, and the dollar-for-dollar 401k match make the compensation top-tier. Culture - Incredibly strong culture. Almost everyone working here checks their ego at the door, and the best ideas win. The focus is on long-term growth and doing the right things not only for Optiver but for the market. Executives / Leadership - The people steering the ship at Optiver not only have great vision and insight; they know their employees and hang out and have a beer on Fridays after work. Outlook - Amazing outlook and growth. Optiver Chicago is the best at pricing options on the SP500 complex globally. Seeing the current trend of money moving into passive index funds, Optiver is poised to keep growing even in a low-volatility market. Work/Life Balance - The after-hours and weekend work here is very limited and much less than when I worked at other large companies. You are treated like a person here, and if you have a family emergency, people will go out of their way to cover for you. Perks - Coffee barista, catered breakfast and lunch, huge variety of snacks and drinks, ping pong table, pool table, weekly massage, beer and wine available after work. All free.Cons: Optiver is a flat organization. Overall, I think being flat is better, but it could feel like growth is limited. You have to work at a high level each and every day. Once again, I feel like this is a benefit. If you are not performing over a sustained period, you will eventually get cut, but this makes Optiver stronger as there is no dead weight.
- 4.0Fast Feedback, Long OaSoftware Development Engineer (SDE) • Current EmployeeSydney, New South Wales, AustraliaMarch 13, 2024Pros: Feedback is very quick, and HR reaches out very soon after the OA.Cons: OA is very long and took me about 3:30 mins. It took time.
Optiver Interview Questions
Explore Interview QuestionsTaro 75Google Interview QuestionsMeta Interview QuestionsAmazon Interview QuestionsApple Interview QuestionsNetflix Interview Questions
Explore Interview ExperiencesOpenAI Interview ExperiencesAnthropic Interview ExperiencesPerplexity Interview ExperiencesWindsurf Interview ExperiencesMistral AI Interview Experiences
