Shadowing Practice: 3.3k - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Today I'm going to share with you the complete Self-Study Guide to High Frequency Trading SDE interviews.
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I'm not here just to tell you to LeetCode and read C++ books.
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I had to self-study most of the topics here myself, and I was able to get into tier one trading companies this year.
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So I want to share specific resources and which chapters are most frequently asking in views and you must read and which chapters you can really safely skip before we start.
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No one, not even the smartest quant in your Discord servers can remember everything.
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So tip one, as you study, make your own cheat sheets.
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When interviews are close, you can just skim through them instead of rereading entire books or even your highlights.
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This will save you from many pre-interview breakdowns.
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And tip two, prefer books to videos or vlogs.
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Why? Because books are peer reviewed.
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And easy to create cheat sheets from.
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If you have the digital copy, you can just copy the text directly into your one note page.
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And let's be honest, no recruiter is gonna be blown away by your Coursera certificate collection if your student also definitely take the relevant courses if your school offers them.
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And lastly, what if one studies but can't get interviews?
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I've been there too.
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The good news is that there are many ways to boost their chances from how I systematically ask for referrals to how I format my resume in an eye catching yet ATS friendly way to how I have optimized LinkedIn so that recruiters find me instead of the other way around.
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I have a full framework for that, and if you want me to make a separate video, drop a comment, say, interview and subscribe to get notified.
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Here's the juicy part you've been waiting for first.
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Algorithms Aim for around 1900 rating on LeetCode's weekly contests.
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Obviously Without cheating, with ChatGPTs, it might take you a year and 200 to 500 questions, so do it concurrently with the other topics the contests have got harder in recent years.
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As a matter of fact, the gold standard to get into Google in the past was 2100 in LeetCode contests.
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Topic number two C++, which should take you four months in total.
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And if you're in the Python track, just skip to the Python section first.
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Skim through the latest edition of a tour of C++.
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This is the third edition by Bjarne Stroustrup.
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Makes sure you understand the big four features of C++ 20.
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These are the specific chapters that you should read and the rest you should be safe to skip.
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If you do use C++ or have learned it in school, the next resource is obviously Scott Meyers' effective series.
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The first one I recommend from it is Effective C++ third edition.
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A good number of the principles here are actually outdated, but the rest are very, very useful to read.
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And the more up to date book, that would supplement the previous one is effective modern C++, more geared towards C++ 11 and 14.
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Scott is no longer writing books.
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That's why we have to, refer to a tour of C++ now that you know how to actually write good C++ code, you can also read this book, which nobody else on the internet, I believe has talked about.
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It's called a hundred Interview Questions It goes from basic concepts like.
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Reference versus pointer to really advanced interview questions like type erasure, that I did get asked in interviews.
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I love that book.
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And the next one, daily C++ interview.
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Some people have talked about it.
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It's a pretty decent book.
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Both of these two are Kindle books that you can actually.
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Read on your phone during bathroom breaks while waiting for meeting to start, or just as bad time readings like I used them for quick bites to keep you sharp basically.
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And finally, read through and implement STL constructs like smart pointers.
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Data structures like vectors.
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Understand how they actually work under the hood and being able to reinvent efficient wheels set you apart from most candidates.
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Comment, STL to vote for a video on that.
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The next topic is concurrency, which should take you a month, I believe, C++ concurrency Action.
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Is obviously the book I would recommend.
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I think chapter five, the most important one can be written better, but the consensus is that this is the best we've got on concurrency so far.
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And if you on the Python track , you can read this famous book called Fluent Python.
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I personally am not on a Python track, but I have read the book.
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Because I use Python a lot at work and I have learned a ton by reading it.
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The book is a bit dry, so plan to spend two to three months on it.
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The next topic is computer networking.
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A top down approach you would probably need to spend two months on it, on chapters 1 to 5.
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This is the computer network in textbook at Stanford.
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And it's very easy and fun to read and you sort of see parallels between computer networking and social networks.
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I know I did.
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And studying networking helps us ease any existential crisis in, in fact . More importantly, networking is everywhere in HFT, latency, package drops, all that jazz.
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So it really pays off even if you're not interviewing.
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And the next topic, operating system will take two week, uh, two months, this is a great book many people have mentioned and sworn by.
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Operating systems.
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Three easy pieces.
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The OS textbook at Wisconsin Medicine, it works you through OS concepts compactly, but effectively to understand how your system jiggles processes and memory.
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So read these two parts, virtualization and concurrency.
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The disk part is very, very rarely asked.
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It's actually never asked in my experience.
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Computer architecture will take you another two months.
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You gotta study caching, branch prediction and memory hierarchies.
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This mean a lot in HFT where nanoseconds count.
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The book that people really swear by is Computer Organization and Design by Peterson and Hennessy.
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I personally have not read it and just reviewed the slides from my college courses.
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And here comes system design, which you probably will spend three months on.
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In fact, new grads have been asked system design questions for eons.
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So I don't know why some people say system designs are not applicable to HFT interviews.
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I got asked them all the time.
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But for HFT.
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System design isn't only how you build Facebook.
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It's also how you process millions of packets per second without burning through cache lines.
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I call them low level system designs.
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Think caching, network latency, throughput.
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Start with the classic design data intensive applications.
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I actually read the book like four times and talked to the author more than once.
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Then you can go lighter with Alex Xu's System design series.
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He has two books right now, volume One, second Edition, and Volume two.
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At least read the volume one in my opinion.
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And behavioral questions will take you, I believe, three days.
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Do not underestimate this.
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Most people think that quant or trading SDE interviews are purely technical.
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But behavioral questions decide whether they will trust you in the pod.
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If you want me to drop a high quality BQ cheat sheet, just comment bq.
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And lastly, math and stats.
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This is commonly referred to as the Green Book, but math and Stats are only asked about 10% of the time in SDE interviews and the candidates with a good math foundation can pass the asked questions pretty easily anyway, so I don't consider it mandatory, but it could be very helpful if you have the time to spare.
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So that's the roadmap.
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Remember, it's not about memorizing everything.
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It's about building mental frameworks and creating your own reference sheets that let you review efficiently until you get a chance to use the learned knowledge in real work.
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I'm organizing my own cheat sheets one by one.
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So please subscribe and stay tuned.
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Please also hit the like button.
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It fuels the YouTube algorithm and my dopamine levels equally.
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Let me know what rabbit hole I should dive into next.
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Until then, happy studying and may constant runtimes be with you.
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Context & Background
In this video, the speaker shares invaluable insights on preparing for high-frequency trading software development engineer (SDE) interviews, emphasizing self-study methodologies rather than rote memorization from standard study sources. The speaker’s personal success story serves as motivation, showcasing how effective techniques led to securing a position in top-tier trading companies. This context is vital for learners who aim to excel in interviews, especially in technical fields. The speaker’s pragmatic approach demonstrates the value of creating custom study materials and focusing on foundational concepts rather than getting bogged down in overwhelming content.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Make your own cheat sheets.” - A reminder of the importance of summarizing information for quick review.
- “Prefer books to videos.” - Emphasizing the reliability and depth of knowledge that books provide.
- “Aim for around 1900 rating on LeetCode.” - Setting a specific target for practice that can enhance one’s chances in interviews.
- “Read through and implement STL constructs.” - Highlighting the necessity of practical application of theoretical concepts.
- “Understand the big four features of C++ 20.” - Encouraging focus on essential aspects of programming languages for interviews.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the shadowing technique from this video transcript, follow these steps to improve your English speaking skills:
- Select Key Phrases: Choose phrases from the “Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication” section. These phrases encapsulate essential communication skills that can be used in technical discussions.
- Listen and Repeat: Play the video, pausing frequently after each phrase. Focus on mimicking the speaker's intonation and pronunciation. This engages both your auditory and vocal skills, crucial for IELTS speaking practice.
- Break Down Sentences: If a phrase feels complex, break it down into smaller parts. Shadow each segment before putting the entire phrase together. This technique enhances understanding and retention.
- Practice Regularly: Dedicate time each day to practice these phrases. Consistency is key—consider integrating your shadow speech practice into your daily routine.
- Apply in Context: Use these phrases in real conversations, whether in practice interviews or discussions with peers. Engaging with language in context reinforces learning and builds confidence.
By incorporating these steps into your study routine, you can improve fluency and comprehension, making you more prepared for both everyday conversations and specialized interviews. Take advantage of resources, such as Learn English with YouTube, to further enhance your language skills through shadowing.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.