An Unusual Interview Experience with a Mysterious Trading Company
Navigating the job market as a new graduate can often feel overwhelming, as I recently discovered during a rather bizarre interview process. Allow me to recount the strange twists of fate that unfolded as I explored opportunities.
As a fresh graduate actively searching for employment on platforms like LinkedIn, I found myself applying indiscriminately to various job listings. Truth be told, I sometimes lost track of which positions I had pursued. About two weeks after completing one of those mindless applications, an invitation for an interview arrived from a company purporting to be a “trading company.”
Initially confused by this unfamiliar name, I decided to conduct some research. My search yielded surprisingly little information—no official website, scant details on LinkedIn, and the company’s profile featured only two employees, whose LinkedIn profiles were almost entirely devoid of information beyond linking back to this enigmatic organization.
Intrigued but cautious, I noted the email domain was registered only a month prior, which raised several red flags. Yet, curiosity got the better of me, and I agreed to the interview to see what would unfold.
The interview was scheduled for a week later, and I was provided with the names of the interviewers. However, I still couldn’t find any information about them online, which heightened my skepticism. I prepared myself for a quick exit if the entire scenario turned out to be a scam.
What happened next surprised me. The interview commenced with real individuals present, who introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds. Without wasting time, we dove into a rigorous technical session involving math, coding challenges, and logic puzzles. To my astonishment, the “30-minute” interview extended to over an hour and felt genuinely professional.
A week later, I received an email that filled me with excitement. The company expressed their admiration for my performance in the interview and requested a take-home assignment, which they informed me would serve as the final step in their selection process. They even mentioned plans to onboard me as a Junior Quant Trader, with whom I would work under an experienced professional from HRT. They casually discussed salary and benefits before an official offer was even extended—definitely peculiar, but I was going with the flow at this stage.
The assignment involved composing a report related to coal trading, which I approached with enthusiasm, dedicating significant effort to crafting a thorough piece I took pride in submitting.
After a week of silence following my submission, I reached
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