Last year, the whole idea of summer internships seemed to come to a standstill. In one fell swoop, many of the stepping stones for the professional world disappeared for Gen Zers entering the workforce. A whole host of companies — Yelp and the Walt Disney Company among them — did away with internship programs entirely.
But some internships took a virtual route, including the ones on offer at IMC Trading. The proprietary trading firm and market maker, already focused on maintaining a vibrant culture during an era of strictly remote work, carried out its program outside of the office walls — seemingly without a hitch.
“Going into the internship, I worried that I might struggle forming relationships because we were all relying on virtual communication. Still, whether we were problem-solving, learning about market making or partaking in other intern activities, it was more sociable and fun than I could have expected,” Isabelle Augensen, an incoming graduate software engineer at the company, told Built In Chicago.
This year, Augensen is returning to IMC IRL. And there’s a whole new crop of opportunities for others looking to continue sharpening their tech skills this summer: As of this writing, there are more than 200 remote internships on Built In and dozens of in-person internship opportunities in the Chicago area.
Below, Augensen shared more of her experiences at IMC Trading and the hard and soft skills she learned that she's looking to apply in her new role.
Tell us a bit about the internship program you participated in. What made you decide this was the right place to do your internship?
When I applied for the software intern position at IMC Trading for the summer of 2020, I was intrigued by the structure. I would have the opportunity to work the whole summer on a project that responded to a legitimate need of the company, partnered with another intern and guided by a dedicated mentor. After speaking with IMC software engineers who’d also interned there, it was immediately clear to me that the company valued the work done by interns and set them up to succeed.
I was also sold on the culture I experienced when interviewing onsite. Everyone I met had an infectious energy, and though the environment was fast-paced, I never felt stressed. In one of the last interview stages, I had the chance to work with an IMC engineer on a problem, and I was impressed by how natural the collaboration felt. I had little doubt that I could thrive at IMC, and despite the remote nature of my internship, my initial impression of the culture was definitely confirmed.
What were the coolest projects you've worked on in your role as an intern? What skills did that project help you develop?
During the first few days of the internship, we had to select a project to work on for the rest of the summer. The project options were diverse with respect to the technical requirements and the relevant trading applications. We were encouraged to pursue projects based on how much they interested us, rather than how much background and prior experience we had.
I worked primarily in Java, a language with which I was familiar. My partner and I were exposed to new frameworks and tools as we navigated IMC’s existing codebases and implemented our project. Our project, a new order router mechanism, involved establishing a logical path between two services, and there were challenges in familiarizing myself with the ins and outs of both applications. I improved my ability to write clean code that conformed to the style and idioms of the code I was deciphering. The most rewarding aspect of the project was the fluid conversations between our team and traders. We discussed the tradeoffs of different design choices, ran through scenarios and use cases and iteratively improved our solution. The combination of the novelty of our project and the efficiency of IMC's development process allowed me to organically encounter scenarios that provided practical experience.
I had ample opportunities to connect with other interns and IMC personnel to learn about the roles and dynamics of their teams.”
How did your internship help you grow professionally, and how will you carry the lessons you've learned forward into your career?
Throughout the summer, I had ample opportunities to connect with other interns and IMC personnel to learn about the roles and dynamics of their teams, their day-to-day activities, and their career development with the company. A key takeaway was to be vocal with my curiosities and thoughts because others were so open and honest in our conversations. This was consistent whether I was seeking out advice or guidance related to my project or my future with IMC. Everyone was welcoming, gave direct, helpful responses, and they were always willing to offer feedback.
Going into the internship, I worried that I might struggle forming relationships because we were all relying on virtual communication. Still, whether we were problem-solving, learning about market making, or partaking in other intern activities, it was more sociable and fun than I could have expected. Those bonds will give me more confidence as I return for a full-time position.
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