Internships & Early Career Opportunities

Early Careers at CTC

Build Your Career. Make Your Mark.

Kickstart your career in a rigorous, supportive environment where your curiosity and initiative matter as much as your technical skill.

Dive Right In

Whether you’re joining as an intern or stepping into your first full-time role, you’ll learn from experienced teammates and see how trading, research, and technology come together in practice.

Learn the Basics. Then Go Deeper.

Our early-career curriculum covers the core of what we do – from options market fundamentals to the in-depth questions that drive our business.

Basics of Options

Develop a working understanding of options, volatility, and market making through dedicated training courses led by our education team.

Intro to Market Making

Work alongside CTC leaders and fellow participants in interactive sessions that put pricing, risk, and decision-making into practice, with some friendly competition along the way.

Quantitative Curriculum

Build knowledge across the quantitative concepts that connect trading, research, and technology, then apply those ideas through exercises and team-based work.

Support from the Start

We offer structured learning, close mentorship, and constant opportunities to put new skills into practice. The result is an environment where new traders, quants, and engineers can thrive.

Learn from Your Manager

Receive direction, feedback, and support from someone invested in your development.

Work with Experienced Teammates

Ask questions, observe different approaches, and learn from people across your team.

Put Your Skills to Work

Apply what you are learning through real projects, exercises, and team-based challenges.

Exceptional Early-Career Experiences

CTC interns and first-year associates build strong foundations, find their strengths, and gain experience that can shape the course of their careers.

“Everybody was incredibly welcoming. I immediately felt like I was a part of the team.”

Ree Sudhakar

Software Engineer (Former Intern)

“I went from not really knowing what an option was to being able to speak the same language as everyone else by the end of the week.”

Stacey Tian

Trader (Former Intern)

“The best way to learn how to drive is from the driver’s seat. At CTC, that’s a philosophy people wholeheartedly agree with.”

Aidan Resnick

Quant Trader (Former Intern)

“Even at the internship level, it’s real work. People are writing code that’s committed to production and working on research that can change trading strategy.”

Bill McFadden

Head of Employee Development (Former Intern)

“It was really exciting being tasked with more ownership than I would have expected early on in my career.”

Cassidy Rubin

Co-Head of U.S. Indexes (Former Intern)

Where Do You Fit?

Explore how early-career professionals contribute across CTC – and the skills and interests that can lead to each path.

Trading

Learn how traders interpret information, price risk, and make decisions under uncertainty. 

Monitor markets and evaluate changing conditions
Participate in trading exercises and simulations
Work with researchers and engineers to improve tools and strategies

You may be a fit if: You enjoy mental math, games, strategy, and open-ended logic problems.  

Quant Research

Use mathematics, data, and experimentation to study markets and develop better ways to make decisions.

Explore data and test hypotheses
Develop and evaluate quantitative models
Collaborate with traders and engineers on practical applications

You may be a fit if: You enjoy working with data and translating abstract ideas into practical mathematical models.

Technology

Develop systems and tools used directly by trading and research teams in demanding market environments.

Write and test production-quality code
Improve trading, research, or data systems
Work with users to understand and solve practical problems

You may be a fit if: You enjoy computer science, system design, and seeing your work used in real time.

Internship Program: A Full Immersion

CTC’s internship program combines structured education, meaningful work, team experience, and the chance to spend a summer with fellow interns in the heart of Chicago. Dive in, get involved, and see how far a summer at CTC can take you.

Learn

Our options theory, market making, and quantitative coursework gives you the fundamentals of how CTC operates.

Connect

Build relationships with fellow interns, mentors, employees, and leaders from across the firm.

Contribute

Work alongside your team and apply what you learn to practical projects and problems.

Experience Chicago

Work at CTC’s headquarters in the Loop, explore the city with your intern class, and take part in social and networking events throughout the summer.

How We Recruit

CTC’s recruiting process is designed to help both sides understand the fit, behaviorally and technically. You’ll have opportunities to meet the team, demonstrate how you think, and learn how we approach our work before making a decision.

Apply

Choose the role that best matches your interests and submit your application and resume.

01.

Complete an Assessment

Depending on the position, you may be invited to complete a quantitative aptitude assessment or coding exercise. Practice materials may be provided to help you understand the format.

02.

Meet the Team

Selected candidates participate in behavioral and technical interviews focused on how they think, solve problems, and work with others.

03.

Get to Know CTC

Finalists may be invited to meet employees, explore the office, and experience the environment firsthand.