
Chimera Securities Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 39 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
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2 roles · 39 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Chimera Securities.
Trader Trainee
I applied online and was contacted by HR. They recruit new traders for January and July, starting interviews 2-3 months beforehand. There's a week-long training program, 4 hours daily after market close. This is followed by a four-month unpaid trial period where they assess your fit and profitability. Post-trial, you get a 2k monthly salary, with commission-only pay starting a year later. I went through 4 interviews: HR, Trader, Trader, and Head Trader. Mostly behavioral questions about fit, why this firm, and why trading. The head trader asked brain teasers and math problems, nothing too hard except for the math.
- If you have a drawer with 10 black and 10 white socks, what's the minimum number of socks you need to pull out, without looking, to guarantee you have a matching pair?
Equity Trader
it started off with an HR phone screen, asked me the basics like tell me about yourself, why do you want to be a trader, why do you think you would make a good trader. Within a few days they got back to me and asked to schedule an interview with one of the traders. Asked mostly behavioral questions, delved into my background/education a bit more. Within the next week the scheduled a final round interview with the head trader and it was the same deal, behavioral, more casual than I was expecting. After that I waited about a month before getting the offer.
- What motivates your desire to become a trader, and what qualities make you believe you'd succeed in this role?
Equity Trader Trainee
The interview process was pretty laid back, never felt any pressure. Started with a phone chat with HR. Then I met a trader face-to-face. The last interview was with the head trader and a partner. Mostly they wanted to get a feel for my personality and see if I'd fit in. There were a few brain teasers thrown in, which were tough, so the advice is to just try and stay calm and work through them.
- In your opinion, what qualities define a successful trader?
- How do successful traders differ from those who don't succeed?
- Could you solve these brain teaser questions?
Systems Administrator
Found the job on LinkedIn and applied through their website. Got a call back the next day to schedule a phone screen. The phone screen was with HR. A few days later, I heard back to come in for an onsite interview. I met with a Managing Director and the head of Automated Trading. We talked about my background and how it would fit with Chimera, and I asked about the work environment.
- Can you tell me about the projects you've implemented?
Chimera Securities Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Chimera Securities interview reports.
“How many socks are in a drawer”
Read reports →“Given 8 balls where one is lighter than the rest, what is the minimum number of weighings on a scale required to identify the defective ball?”
Read reports →“Using a balance beam only twice, how would you find the heaviest of 9 balls, given that one is heavier than the rest?”
Read reports →“If you have a drawer with black and white socks, what's the minimum number of socks you need to pull out to guarantee you have at least two white ones?”
Read reports →“Given nine marbles, one heavier than the others and indistinguishable by touch, and a balance scale usable only twice, what's the method to find the heaviest marble?”
Read report →“If you have a drawer with 10 black and 10 white socks, what's the minimum number of socks you need to pull out, without looking, to guarantee you have a matching pair?”
Read report →“Solve the 9 marbles brainteaser.”
Read report →“Using only a 3-gallon jug and a 5-gallon jug, along with a fire hose, how would you obtain exactly 4 gallons of water?”
Read report →“If you have 20 socks in a drawer, 10 white and 10 black, what's the minimum number of socks you need to pull out to guarantee you have a matching pair?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 39 Chimera Securities interview reports.