Learn more about our intern projects: Sam

Sam - Trading Analyst Intern

My main task as an intern in Chicago this summer has been to forecast macroeconomic trends in the market. My work has involved beginning with a holistic view and gradually narrowing the scope of my research in order to add clarity to subtle trends. Some of the data I'm using exists internally with our research and market data teams, but I also spend time collecting interesting and relevant data from external sources. The more data I can access, the more likely I am to find trends that other people haven’t noticed yet.

On my team, its essential to have an accurate view of the global market. This requires me to have a thorough understanding of the interplay between different markets and governments. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much about these interactions, but it’s been a really rewarding area of growth for me this summer beyond the technical and quantitative skills I’ve picked up.

The best thing about my project is how I’ve been able to define my own research goals – my manager and I found a topic that we both found to be promising and we quickly dove into the problem. It’s helpful having a team of people who all have different perspectives on the same problem. By working closely with the other members on my desk, I’ve been able to overcome many of the challenges I’ve faced this summer. Each member walks me through the way they think about the problem, and I’m able to piece together their experiences and insights to find a solution that works well for me. This has been the most important factor in making my project successful.