Point72 Data Science Internship Onsite Interview Experience

First, there was an online hireview and coding session. A week later, I received an invitation for a three-round onsite interview, each lasting 30 minutes. The main job involves using alternative data

First, there was an online hireview and coding session. A week later, I received an invitation for a three-round onsite interview, each lasting 30 minutes. The main job involves using alternative data to predict earnings or other market data for discretionary traders, somewhat like enhancing Bloomberg data. The first round of interviews focused on general data science experience, asking about previous projects. The second round included technical questions, such as how beta, t-statistic, and r^2 change when x and y are swapped in linear regression. It also included questions about multiplying x by 10 or the multiplication of x. These were standard quantitative, linear regression, and machine learning questions. The third round involved the hiring manager asking case studies, such as how to predict next season's earnings using credit card spending data. I think to impress the interviewer, you need to carefully consider what alternative data projects you can work on and how to create value for the front office. This is crucial for hiring interns. There's a post listing a comprehensive question bank. I didn't pass the audition, but I got a job at another HF doing systematic trading. I heard that Point72's full-time DS salary is average, around $175k base plus $50k bonus. Maybe the bonus will be higher after negotiation. Within HF, it's definitely not as good as the turnover rate for front-office quants. I recently watched a documentary about Steven Cohen and learned about his insider trading at SAC, which seemed a bit too dirty. While I'm not exactly a paragon of virtue, and HF is indeed a jungle where the strong prey on the weak, understanding the details of this incident, the fate of those involved, and Steven's situation, makes me feel a bit stigma if I were to work for him in the future.