Akuna Capital Interview Guide
Published July 21st 2024
Last edited July 22nd 2024
Going on the journey to join Akuna Capital involves navigating a rigorous and multi-stage interview process designed to evaluate your aptitude and fit for a trading career at one of the leading trading firms globally. This guide provides a detailed roadmap of the Akuna Capital interview process, breaking down each phase and offering targeted advice to help you stand out.
The Akuna Capital interview process is structured to assess a large range of skills and goes through various stages:
- Online Assessments: Tests your mental math skills and logical reasoning.
- Recorded Video Interview: Evaluates your background and thinking process.
- Technical Interview: Focuses on brainteasers, market-making games, probability questions, and basic derivatives.
- Final Round: Involves in-depth technical and HR interviews to gauge your overall fit.
Next to studying this guide, before going to the interview - make sure you've also taken a good look at the Akuna Capital interview FAQ and details on their website.
Each stage is specifically designed to test different aspects of your capabilities, ensuring an extensive evaluation of your readiness for a role at Akuna Capital. This guide will walk you through the specifics of each stage and provide preparation strategies to help you succeed.
Stage 1: First Online Assessment
Overview:
After reviewing your application, you’ll be sent the first of two online assessments. This stage includes:
- Mental Math: 80 questions to be answered in 8 minutes. The questions are not multiple choice, and you need to manually navigate to the next question by clicking a submit button. Our Blue Test exactly mimics the type of questions and test format of the Akuna Capital Math test.
- Sequences: 24 questions to be answered in 12 minutes. These questions involve identifying patterns in sequences, which may include numbers, letters, or even other logical patterns. Our Blue Sequence Test offers the best preparation for the Akuna Capital Sequence Test and exactly mimics both the test format and types of questions.
Preparation Tips:
- Mental Math: Practice mental arithmetic consistently to improve your speed and accuracy. Familiarize yourself with the test format to minimize navigation time.
- Sequences: Practice identifying patterns quickly. Use our tailored preparation tools to get used to the types of sequences you will encounter.
Stage 2: Second Online Assessment
Overview:
If you pass the first online assessment, you’ll be invited to the second online assessment. This stage involves a unique game that tests your strategic thinking and betting strategies.
The Game:
- Alphabet Table: You’ll be presented with a table containing the alphabet, split into two columns. You must place bets on options that offer the highest expected payout based on letter pairings and their positions in the table.
- Scoring: Points are gained or lost based on the relative positions of letters you choose compared to a randomly selected row.
Preparation Tips:
- Understand the Rules: Familiarize yourself with how points are calculated based on the choices you make.
- Practice Strategic Betting: Have a solid understanding of how options work and practice strategic betting games like our market making games to work on your trading intuition.
Stage 3: Recorded Video Interview
Overview:
If you advance past the online assessments, you’ll be invited to a short recorded video interview. This stage allows the team to learn more about you and understand your thinking process. The questions you need to answer are randomly sampled from a selection of (relatively standard) behavioral interview questions. Be sure to practice the following questions and have your answers ready beforehand:
- Why do you want to work at Akuna?
- Are you a competitive person?
- Why do you want to become a trader?
- What makes you stand out from other applicants?
Preparation Tips:
- Background and Motivation: Be prepared to discuss your background, why you want to work at Akuna Capital, and your interest in trading.
- Clear Communication: Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely in a recorded format.
Stage 4: Technical Interview
Overview:
Successful candidates then proceed to a technical phone interview with one of Akuna’s traders. This interview typically includes:
- Brainteasers: Problem-solving questions to test your logical reasoning. Make sure to practice Coordinate Variance, Counting Nines and Faulty Robot.
- Market-Making Games: Trading games using dices and cards to assess your trading intuition. Practice this using our dice and card market making simulator.
- Probability Questions: Questions to evaluate your understanding of probability and statistics.
- Basic Derivatives: Questions to test your knowledge of derivatives and financial instruments.
Preparation Tips:
- Brainteasers and Probability: Practice brainteasers and probability questions using our curated collection. Make sure to filter for probability and finance questions and use the Akuna Capital company filter to practice company-specific questions directly!
- Derivatives: Brush up on basic derivatives concepts to ensure you can answer related questions confidently.
Stage 5: Final Round
Overview:
The final round consists of interviews either in person or via video conference, lasting between 1 to 4 hours. This round revisits all the elements from the previous stages and includes a deeper focus on HR questions.
Technical Stage:
- Expected Value Games: Calculate the expected value in various trading games involving cards, dice, or coins. Practice our market making games and take a look at the brainteasers in our cards & coins list.
- Complex Problems: Solve brainteasers and other complex problems under timed conditions. Make sure to practice all Akuna interview questions by leveraging our brainteaser database and filtering for Akuna Capital.
HR Stage:
- Motivation and Fit: Answer questions like "Why trading?" and "Why Akuna Capital?". To make sure you don't run into any surprises, do your research and make sure you have a good understanding of both Akuna's organizational structure and culture.
- Cultural Fit: Demonstrate how your values align with Akuna’s collaborative and innovative culture. Don't underestimate the necessity of culture fit.
- Personal Strengths and Weaknesses: Be prepared to discuss your strengths, weaknesses, and how you can add value to the team.
Preparation Tips:
- Stay Calm Under Pressure: Keep your composure and approach each problem methodically.
- Effective Communication: Clearly explain your thought process and reasoning.
- Show Confidence: Display a relaxed yet focused demeanor to show you can handle high-pressure situations.
- Work Methodically: Break down complex problems into manageable steps and check your calculations.
- Practice Under Simulated Conditions: Replicate interview conditions during your preparation to get accustomed to performing under similar stress.
Closing Remarks
The guide emphasizes the necessity of thorough preparation for each phase of the Akuna Capital interview process. It provides resources for practicing specific tests, understanding behavioral interviews, and honing the analytical and strategic thinking required for technical interviews and final round challenges.
Success in the Akuna Capital interview demands a blend of sharp intellect, strategic insight, and a genuine passion for trading, along with a personality that fits Akuna Capital's culture. Candidates should approach this process with diligent preparation, a mindset for continuous learning, and an authentic display of their skills and character.
A common mistake is underestimating the preparation needed for the Akuna Capital interview. These roles are highly competitive, and Akuna Capital selects only the best. Many candidates spend months preparing for the various stages and assessments. To stand out, you need to work hard, be self-critical, and take your preparation seriously to excel at each interview stage.
Whether or not you succeed, the journey with Akuna Capital can be both challenging and rewarding, offering a chance to grow and potentially join a leading trading firm. Each interview stage is an opportunity to showcase who you are and how you can contribute to Akuna Capital's success.