Citadel Securities received 115,000 applications for its internship program and accepted only 210 candidates, resulting in a 0.18% acceptance rate. According to this article, what sets these candidates apart is not their coding ability, GPA, or quant competition wins, but their capacity to be « builders » : identifying unassigned problems, organizing solutions around them, and taking ownership. AI amplifies this profile by removing mechanical tasks and placing more judgment-based work in the hands of beginners. The author encourages students to build personal projects, pursue mastery in their passions, and use AI tools to prepare for this new professional environment.
Source: Read the original article
