Interviewing at Akuna Capital can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. As a leading trading firm in Chicago’s competitive financial sector, Akuna is highly selective in its hiring process. Understanding what to expect in terms of common interview questions and the overall process can help you put your best foot forward
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to ace your Akuna Capital interview, including
- An overview of Akuna Capital and key facts about the firm
- The various roles at Akuna and requirements for each
- How the interview process works and what to expect
- Sample interview questions with tips to help craft winning responses
- Other tips for making a strong impression and standing out
About Akuna Capital
Akuna Capital is a technology-driven trading firm located in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in 2011 by CEO Michael Hood and CTO Paul Bilgola. It utilizes sophisticated machine learning algorithms and statistical models to trade options, futures, stocks, bonds and currencies across asset classes.
Some key facts about Akuna:
- Employs over 150 people and growing rapidly
- Trades over 800 instruments globally
- Manages over $10 billion in assets
- Ranked one of the best firms to work for by P&I and Built In Chicago
Akuna’s culture emphasizes excellence, transparency, innovation and growth. The firm looks for smart, curious, motivated individuals to join its team.
Roles at Akuna Capital
Akuna Capital hires for a wide range of roles, including:
Quantitative Traders/Strategists: Responsible for developing and enhancing trading strategies and signals. Require advanced math and programming skills (C++, Python).
Software Engineers: Build and maintain Akuna’s advanced trading infrastructure and applications. Expertise in C++, Linux and cloud technologies is required.
Quantitative Research Analysts: Apply statistical modeling to identify new alpha sources. Advanced degree in technical field (CS, math, physics) preferred.
Business Analysts: Partner with our trading and development teams to solve complex business problems. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills required.
Technical Operations: Maintain trading systems, resolve issues quickly to minimize downtime. Knowledge of Linux administration and networking required.
Regardless of role, Akuna looks for candidates with exceptional ability in math, programming, statistics and technology. Curiosity, passion and drive are valued above all else.
What to Expect in the Interview Process
Akuna Capital’s interview process typically follows these stages:
1. Initial Phone/Video Screen: A 30-45 minute introductory call with a recruiter or hiring manager to evaluate basic fit and abilities. Questions cover your resume, interest in the firm, technical skills and aptitude.
2. Technical Video Interview: A 1-2 hour interview focused on technical ability and problem solving. Expect brain teasers, market questions and coding challenges in languages like C++ and Python. Be ready to explain your approach and logic.
3. On-site Interviews: Candidates who successfully pass the technical screen are invited to Akuna’s Chicago office for 4-6 rounds of interviews spanning a full day. Interviewers will include managers and engineers who will further probe your technical, communication and problem-solving abilities.
4. Follow-up Interviews (if needed): Additional rounds of interviews may be scheduled to continue assessing the candidate. This indicates the company has significant interest but wants to gather more signal.
The process can move quickly, so being responsive and flexible with scheduling is important. Overall, the focus is on evaluating intelligence, skill and cultural fit above all.
Sample Akuna Capital Interview Questions
Here are some of the most common interview questions candidates face at Akuna:
General Questions:
- Walk me through your resume and background. Why are you interested in Akuna Capital?
- What do you know about our firm and trading strategies? Why do you think you are a good fit here?
- How do you handle high pressure situations or conflicts at work?
- Describe a time you had to solve a difficult technical or analytical problem. What was your approach?
Behavioral Questions:
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- When working on a team project, what role do you usually take on? How do you collaborate with colleagues?
- How do you prioritize tasks when there are multiple urgent issues to tackle?
Technical Questions:
- Explain how you would find the coefficients for a 3rd degree polynomial given a data set.
- How would you design a system to monitor the health of a fleet of servers? What metrics would you track?
- What is the time complexity difference between iterating through a list vs. a hash map? Explain your reasoning.
- What is a limit order book? How would you build one?
Coding Questions:
- Write a function to reverse a string in C++.
- Implement an algorithm to find the shortest path between two nodes in a graph.
- Design and code an e-commerce checkout system. What classes and methods would you need?
Market/Trading Questions:
- How does a company profit from market making? What risks are involved?
- Explain how you would price an options trade using Black-Scholes.
- Describe some trading strategies based on statistical arbitrage.
Tips for Acing Your Akuna Capital Interview
Based on feedback from successful candidates, here are some top tips:
Practice Technical Puzzles and Coding: Sharpen your quantitative and programming skills. Practice brain teasers and work through sample coding challenges in C++ and Python. Master data structure manipulation and algorithms.
Understand the Trading Business: Learn about market microstructure, pricing models, risk management, and common trading strategies. Understand Akuna’s business to demonstrate alignment.
Communicate Your Thought Process: Explain your thinking and logic behind approaches to problems. Ask clarifying questions if needed. Show how you break down complex problems.
Be Curious and Engaged: Demonstrate passion and interest in the role. Ask smart, insightful questions about the firm, technology and team.
Manage Time Wisely: Pace yourself on technical challenges. Don’t get bogged down early. Communicate if you need to make assumptions to move forward.
Stay Calm Under Pressure: Take a moment to gather your thoughts if needed. Manage anxiety and stress by breathing and remaining focused. Project confidence even if questions are difficult.
Highlight Alignment and Fit: Share why the role and Akuna Capital excite you. Talk about how your background, skills and values align with the firm.
Be Authentic: Answer genuinely and share who you are beyond just technical abilities. Show your personality and what motivates you.
With preparation and practice, you can stand out and earn a coveted role at this elite trading firm. Believe in yourself and put your best foot forward throughout the interview process. Stay engaged and unflappable in the face of tough questions. This will demonstrate you have what it takes to thrive at Akuna Capital.
Other Helpful Tips for Interview Success
Beyond specific questions and practice, keep these tips in mind:
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Dress professionally – Wear formal business attire even for video interviews to make a good impression
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Arrive early – Plan to be at least 15 minutes early for on-site interviews to account for any delays
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Bring copies of your resume – Have clean printed copies available for interviewers during on-sites
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Listen carefully – Focus intently on each question before responding to ensure you understand
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Take your time – It’s fine to pause for a moment or ask for clarification instead of rushing responses
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Sell yourself – This is your chance to demonstrate value; don’t be afraid to share achievements and convey excitement
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Ask good questions – Prepare thoughtful questions to ask at the end about the role, team, culture, etc.
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Follow up promptly – Send thank you notes to each interviewer within 24 hours to reiterate interest
With rigorous preparation and a strategic approach, you can truly maximize your chances of landing your dream job at Akuna Capital. Keep the above tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to success. Best of luck!
Akuna Capital LLCProprietary Trading
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Experience is a score between 1 star (very bad) and 5 stars (very good).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. If you move your mouse over the different parts of the doughnut, you’ll see exactly how each score was calculated.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. For easy explanation, when a business gets more reviews, the belief in its “true score” grows. This makes it move closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the dataset. 3. 5.
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Difficulty is a score that goes from “very difficult” (red) to “very easy” (green).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. That is, as a business learns more, it becomes more sure of a “true score,” which moves it closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the data set. 3. 6.
Based on reviews at this company, the 20% of interns getting full-time offers chart is meant to give you a good idea of how the company hires people.
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
It uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates to account for companies that don’t have many reviews, which is how the percentile score in the title is found. To put it simply, when a business gets more reviews, the “true score” becomes more likely to be accurate. This makes it move closer to the simple company average and away from the average of all the data. 44%.
Akuna Capital Interview Experience | Graduate Trader
FAQ
How hard is an AKUNA CAPITAL interview?
Is Akuna hard to get in?
What is the passing score for Akuna math test?
Is AKUNA CAPITAL a good company to work for?
What is the interview process like at Akuna capital?
I interviewed at AKUNA CAPITAL (Sydney) in Apr 2023 Online testing followed by an online interview which is mainly technical, consisting of probability and basic math questions. From here you go on to a final all day intensive workshop/interview. Roll 2, 5 sided dice, if the product is a multiple of 5 you get the value back, otherwise nothing.
How much does Akuna capital make?
The average AKUNA CAPITAL salary ranges from approximately $161,776 per year for a Software Engineer to $304,782 per year for a Chief Technology Officer. AKUNA CAPITAL employees rate the overall compensation and benefits package 4.0/5 stars. What is the highest salary at AKUNA CAPITAL?
Who are Akuna & Glassdoor?
Visit Us: A 360 Virtual Reality Experience Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the – More Glassdoor has millions of jobs plus salary information, company reviews, and interview questions from people on the inside making it easy to find a job that’s right for you.
