Jessica, a final-year Computer Science student at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), didn’t always have trading on her radar. What began as a passion for maths, problem-solving, and tech quickly evolved into something more – a journey that took her from IMC’s Women in Trading & Engineering (WiTE) Program to an internship, a part-time role, and soon, a full-time graduate position.

When curiosity meets opportunity

When Jessica first heard about trading, she imagined a cut-throat, high-pressure world. But after taking part in IMC’s Women in Trading & Engineering (WiTE) Program, her perspective changed.

“It was fast paced, with interesting problems to tackle every day,” she says. “But what stood out to me was IMC’s collaborative, supportive culture and the opportunity to work on real challenges.”

Drawn by the experience, Jessica applied for IMC’s software engineering internship. Over the summer, she got hands-on with building a simulation of aerial technologies.

“The internship was mentally engaging and incredibly rewarding,” she says. “We worked in pairs on technical projects, and I was surprised by how much ownership we were given from the start. My team supported me with building domain-specific knowledge and designing a scalable solution.”

It wasn’t all code and complexity, though. “IMC hosted lots of social events, which helped build connections with people across the company. Plus, living with the other interns made it easy to bond – it was an unforgettable summer!”

Engineering nationwide impact

Jessica’s IMC journey didn’t end with her final internship presentation. Impressed by her talent and initiative, IMC offered her a part-time role to build a new trading simulation, one that would eventually be rolled out at university events across Australia.

“It was a full-stack project – frontend, backend, deployment, and running the simulations live,” she explains. “It was both exciting and nerve-racking to see the simulation in action for the first time. Watching students use something I helped build to learn about trading has been a real highlight of my journey.”

Jessica credits the experience, and her mentor, with helping her grow as a developer. “I learnt so much about prioritisation and technical design. Being trusted with such responsibility so early on in my career feels very empowering. At IMC, you can truly push your boundaries.”

A new beginning

Jessica has now accepted a graduate software engineer role at IMC, where she’ll be joining full-time after she finishes her studies. “I’m excited to continue this journey and learn from the amazing engineers and traders around me,” she says.

To other tech students curious about a career in trading, her advice is simple: “Give it a shot. Whether it’s through a program like WiTE or an internship, or just by talking to people in the industry, you never know what the future awaits.”

Are you ready to test yourself and see where a career at IMC can take you? Apply for the Software Engineering Internship now.