Sales & trading internships

A markets internship covers three jobs: sales, who talk to investor clients; trading, who hold the risk and make prices; and structuring, who design tailored products. At banks they are split by asset class: equities, rates, FX, credit and commodities.

Banks hire mainly through summer internships, usually ten weeks long and recruited about a year in advance, and through off-cycle internships of four to six months. Proprietary trading firms recruit all year round, with mental maths and probability tests.

What recruiters read for

Show that you understand the exact seat: a salesperson talks about clients and products, a trader about risk and prices. Name the asset class in the posting, what you have done that comes close (a derivatives course, a pricing model, a portfolio you followed), and keep it short.