From Intern to Impact: A Software Developer's Journey at DRW

Can you describe your career path and what led you to pursue a Software Developer role at DRW?  

During my time at university, I was searching for a role where I could see the impact of my work on a day-to-day basis and so I was drawn to the world of trading. At the end of my second year, I did a summer internship at DRW. The work was really enjoyable, and the team made me feel comfortable in my role. My internship project was meaningful and impactful, which was a key reason I decided to join as a full-time employee the following summer.  Since then, I have worked on numerous applications that the team maintains, and I learn something new almost every day.

Describe your role at DRW. What does a typical day look like for you?  

It really depends on the day, and that’s part of what makes it so interesting. Some days I come in early to help get our systems up and running for the European markets. On other days I’ll work on new features for our applications that have been requested by the traders. Trying to come up with the best solution to a request and being able to see it in action the next day is always interesting because it’s not only rewarding, but it teaches you how to create something even better next time.

What was the most valuable skill you learned during your internship?  

Try every possible solution before asking for help, even if it seems like it won’t work. You can learn so many things just by experimenting on your own, and by doing that you can find out what your most important questions are. For example, it’s important to know when to ask high-level questions about the direction of the application’s purpose and when to discuss implementation details. This helps you get the most out of your meetings with others.

How did the tasks and projects you worked on during your internship compare to what you’re doing now in your full-time role?  

During my internship, I worked on prototyping an app that the desk was planning to build. It was interesting to see how the team lays out the specification for a new task, and then iterates on solutions, improving them at every step. The interaction with more senior members of my team during the internship prepared me for the full-time role, as I had learned how to get the best out of the meetings by asking the right questions and voicing any concerns over the task at hand. Naturally, the tasks as a full-time member of the team are significantly more complex and have a wider impact on trading, but you also get access to all the cool applications that the team builds for the traders, and there is always a new problem to solve.

Were there any specific moments or experiences during your internship that had a big impact on your career path?  

Having my code reviewed by an engineer for the first time was quite an eye-opening experience. It was my first time writing code for production grade systems, so there are a lot of nuances you must consider that you ignore whilst working on university tasks. It prepared me for a whole new way of thinking about software development.

What 3 things do you wish you knew before becoming a software developer?  

• It’s a marathon not a sprint – it’s better to take the time to design a robust solution and test it properly so that you minimise the probability of a costly mistake in production. Hacking together quick solutions that don’t handle all the edge cases are less maintainable by other developers.   

• Preparing the right questions to ask others is crucial! Spend as much time as possible exploring different solutions yourself before seeking help. This way you learn what does not work for when you tackle similar problems in the future and the person helping you has a better understanding of the current problem. 

• Software development and engineering isn’t a one-person job – make sure you write clean code and are able to explain it to someone. You want your colleagues to be able to pick up an app you have worked on and add to it almost immediately without the need to dissect a messy project, which hinders overall team performance. 

How would you describe the culture and working environment in the London office? 

The culture is amazing – you feel at home the moment you step foot in the office. Everyone is super friendly and always happy to help or just have a chat. If you’re stuck on a hard problem, you never feel hesitant to ask for help.