Jane Street Interns on Projects, Mentorship and Learning

SUMMARY

In 30 seconds

In this short video, Jane Street staff and former interns describe an immersive program intended to resemble full-time work. They discuss initial finance training, patient mentors, iterative projects and social connections, presenting their individual experiences of the firm's culture.

1An immersive internshipA staff member says the program aims to show interns what working at the firm full time is like.
2Learning from the beginningOne former intern recalls two weeks devoted to learning finance, starting from little or no prior knowledge.
3Mentors connect peopleA speaker recalls a mentor introducing them to a colleague who immediately offered to teach them about a topic of interest.
4Open-ended projectsOne former intern describes work involving machine-learning tools in trading and post-trade systems; another explains the iterative process with a mentor.
5Relationships beyond projectsSpeakers recall puzzle and strategy games, theater and chess as ways to get to know colleagues.

Takeaways

The internship aims to give participants a sense of full-time work at Jane Street.
Initial training introduces financial concepts to interns who may have no finance background.
Mentors and other full-time staff help interns learn and connect with people who can answer their questions.
Projects can be open-ended and develop iteratively through discussion and feedback.
Interns also describe forming relationships through shared interests and social activities.

TopicsCareers Company Culture Education

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An introduction to the internship

A staff member describes the goal of immersing interns in full-time work. Former interns recall patient teaching and initial finance training.

A Jane Street staff member describes the internship as immersive: a central goal is to give interns an experience of what it is like to work at the firm full time. One former intern says they did not know what to expect and were struck by how patiently full-time employees explained and taught things.

Dylan, a former trading intern, says he initially viewed Jane Street as an interesting place to intern rather than somewhere he expected to work. Within a few weeks, however, he found the experience exciting and enjoyed working there.

Another former intern says they had not considered themselves a finance person before the internship. The first two weeks were explicitly devoted to learning, with an effort to bring participants up to speed on the finance they needed from almost no prior knowledge.

Mentorship and collaboration

Speakers describe mentors, colleagues who readily share knowledge and an environment that welcomes interns' ideas. Their accounts reflect individual experiences.

A speaker describes the mentor relationship as the first and deepest point of contact with full-time staff. Another recalls mentioning a topic of interest to their mentor, who introduced them to a colleague. He stopped his work, offered a seat and immediately offered to explain the subject—a willingness to help others learn that made an impression.

Speakers describe colleagues as bright but not inclined to have large egos. One says interns are treated as equals who can contribute ideas and have those ideas taken seriously.

Open-ended projects and connections

Former interns describe challenging, iterative projects and relationships with colleagues. Staff close by inviting curious people to experience the work and culture.

One former intern recalls being placed immediately on a project involving machine-learning tools in trading and post-trade systems. Doing work that felt so close to the frontier during an internship was exciting.

A speaker says internship projects are often open-ended: an intern takes a first pass at an idea, discusses the results with a mentor, receives advice and improves it iteratively. Another describes the work as exploratory, sometimes approaching a question in a way nobody at the firm, or perhaps anywhere, has tried before.

Former interns also value the relationships they formed. People share many interests: some interns played puzzle and strategy games, others went to Broadway shows, and full-time employees and interns played chess. One speaker appreciated getting to know colleagues personally as well as working with them.

A staff member describes the internship as a chance to work together, demonstrate curiosity and potential, and discover what the firm is like. Another speaker characterizes the workplace as positive, friendly and warm.