What to expect from an information session

It’s that time of year again – the university recruiting season kicks off this week at DRW. We’re headed to 21 schools around the world to find traders, developers and quantitative researchers who are excited for a career in the financial markets. On many of these campuses we’re hosting information sessions — informal presentations where you’ll hear from DRW employees about their experience, their role and the markets more broadly. Want to know what to expect at one of these sessions? Read on for a few tips from our university talent acquisition team.

Before you go: do your homework

Before the info session on your campus, we recommend doing some research. First, visit your school’s career services to learn as much as you can about the recruiting process and the companies visiting your campus. Plan your schedule around the companies that pique your interest. Each school has an endless amount of resources available to help you find the right internship or full time job.

Next, learn a bit more about the trading industry. This blog series explains the importance of liquidity in the financial markets and John Lothian News helps you stay up to date on current events in our rapidly changing industry. Finally, take some time to go through our websites and social media profiles to better understand our family of companies, our company culture and how we contribute to the financial markets.

It’s great if you can learn more about our company’s culture ahead of time and dress along those lines. At DRW, we’re very casual and completely understand how busy career fair week is - so jeans and a tee are fine for us. If wearing business casual or professional gives you confidence, that’s okay too. It will be a mix, so come in whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

While you’re there: engage with us

Each information session starts with a bit of time to get to know one another. This is a good time to talk to other students about their experiences looking for a job, to DRW employees about their roles, or to our university talent acquisition team about the process.

We start our presentation with a full history of DRW, so you’ll gather a deep understanding of our organization as a whole. A trader, developer or researcher will share their story and give you a clear picture of a day in their life. Employees will also explain in detail how their role fits into the goals of DRW and the financial markets. It can be helpful to jot down a few notes – we’ll share a lot of information, and these notes can help you prepare for your future interviews with us.

We’ll open it up for a Q&A at the end. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Chances are other students are wondering the same thing. Plus, asking a thoughtful question is a great way to stand out to our talent acquisition team.

We wrap things up with more time to speak individually to our talent acquisition team and the DRW traders, developers and researchers. That’s your opportunity to ask questions specific to your circumstances. Maybe you’re wondering which role to apply for or what classes will help you prepare to be part of a firm like DRW – our employees will be happy to give you a bit of guidance. If you’re not looking for an internship this year, we still encourage you to attend. Freshmen or sophomores who are thinking about the trading industry are always welcome.

Don’t forget to bring an empty stomach - food and drinks will be served!

Later on: follow up

More questions are bound to come up, so feel free to email our talent acquisition team directly. You’ll receive their contact information at career fairs and info sessions. When you send your follow up email, be sure to mention the specifics of your conversations with the team. If you’re interested in a specific role or location, tell us – be detailed and explain your reasons why so we can guide you in the right direction.

The best tip we can give you is to be yourself and share your passion. We want to get to know the real you and find out what excites you, so be sure that comes through. See you soon on campus!