Hi! I’m Rohan Choudhary, a fourth-year Civil Engineering student, and this summer, I interned at Axxela—a prominent player in the trading industry. I’ve outlined my entire experience below, but if you still have questions, just reach out anytime!
When internship season kicked off, all I was interested in was Analytics and Finance roles. However, I was getting rejected left and right. Just when I was losing hope, Axxela showed up in the third week of September. I’d never heard of them before, but they offered something totally unique—a manual derivatives trading internship. Even though I had zero trading experience, I was super curious about this world and what it could mean for students like us.
Now talking about Axxela’s procedure. They had 3 rounds of tests before the interviews. First up was a speed math test—basically, quick mental calculations to see how fast and accurate you are. Next was an aptitude test, kind of like the QA section of CAT. Honestly, don’t stress too much about these—just practice a bit the day before, and you’ll be fine. The third round was a trading game where they split us into groups and created a market for us to trade in. The trick here? Basic trading 101—buy low, sell high, and make as much profit as you can. (And pro tip: don’t even think about cheating. They’ll grill you on your strategy during the interview.)
Based on how we did in the trading game, they shortlisted about 50 students for interviews. The interview was a single online round where they tested our brains, logic, and how badly we wanted this. Expect puzzles, speed math, and some tough questions like, “Why trading?” or “Any prior experience in trading?” or “What’s your take on the IT market rallying currently?” or even “What would you do if I give you 10 lakh rupees right now?” Here’s my advice: don’t go all diplomatic on them. Be real, be logical, and prepare for these questions before the interview. The HR questions are where they actually evaluate if you’re a good fit, so stay chill and show them you’re serious about making trading your career.
Now, the best part—the actual trading experience at Axxela. By the third week of May, we (the interns) walked into the office for the first time, and the team welcomed us warmly, conducting induction sessions, fun interactive games, and theory classes (don’t worry, you don’t need to study anything beforehand). After the intro week, the real work began. We took manual trades on simulations in the US market. Yes, the office timings were as per the US/Europe market hours—Ours was 2 pm-12 am. The people there were incredibly hospitable and always willing to share their knowledge. I made it a point to approach various seniors, observing their trading styles and learning as much as I could—the best thing I did. It was an amazing experience for all of us. They even invited us to their office party at Rude Lounge, which was a blast!
Before I wrap this up, here’s a word of caution for all the aspirational future traders out there: Only apply for this internship if you’re dead serious about a trading career. It’s a fantastic way to learn and get a taste of the trading world, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Trading is a risky business—60% of traders either quit or get fired in their first year. So, think it over before you dive in. Decide what’s right for you—a steady, stable career or the thrill (and risk) of fast-paced trading with some job insecurity.
Good luck with whatever path you choose!
