How to Get a Two Sigma Employee Referral
Two Sigma runs like a research lab that happens to trade - and it hires like one. Referrals from scientists and engineers inside carry the weight of peer review.
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✍️ Ready-to-send intro“Hi - we both studied at [your school]. I’d love to hear about your path to Two Sigma before I apply…”
… plus everyone else in your network who can put in a good word.
See who can refer you in - pick your target company:
Quick answer
Yes, Two Sigma takes employee referrals: an employee puts your name in internally, usually before you apply, and about 50% of hires come through referrals. You do not need to already know someone there. You need an employee you share a school or a past employer with, and a short conversation.
- Find Two Sigma employees who share your school or a past employer (the free search above).
- Ask for a 15 minute chat about their team, not for a job.
- If it goes well, ask them to submit your referral before you apply.
Referral bonuses at large companies typically run $1,000 to $10,000, paid to the employee who refers you, never to the candidate. See reported referral bonus amounts by company.
By the Numbers
Two Sigma applies machine learning and distributed computing to systematic trading, and its culture skews closer to a research institution than a Wall Street firm - papers, PhDs, internal tech talks, and long-horizon projects. Hiring spans quantitative research, engineering, and a venture/private-markets arm.
Referrals route through standard internal machinery, but their real function is contextual: a researcher vouching that your work is rigorous, or an engineer vouching that your systems thinking is sound, maps directly onto what interview committees evaluate. Cold applications compete on resume keywords; referred ones arrive pre-translated.
Don't already know someone at Two Sigma? You don't have to.
The steps below all start the same way - finding an insider willing to refer you. FindWarmIntros does that part for you: it surfaces the Two Sigma employees who already share your school or a past employer (the people most likely to say yes) and drafts the intro. Free, no sign-up, ~10 seconds.
Show me who can refer me at Two Sigma →Or read the manual version first - it's right below.
How to Get a Referral: Step by Step
- Surface Two Sigma contacts: Use FindWarmIntros to find alumni at Two Sigma - academic networks (math, stats, CS PhDs) and big-tech engineering alumni are the densest pools.
- Lead with artifacts: Publications, Kaggle results, open-source work, or a serious data project. The culture evaluates evidence the way labs do.
- Choose your track: Quantitative research (modeling), engineering (platform, data, infrastructure), and portfolio/business roles run distinct processes.
- Expect a long, thorough process: Multiple technical rounds with depth over speed; referrers can outline the stages so nothing surprises you.
- Make the referral specific: Name the team or research area; "somewhere in research" gives your referrer nothing to attach you to.
Tips That Make the Difference
Engineering is half the firm
Data infrastructure, modeling platforms, and execution systems employ as many people as research - and hire from pure-tech backgrounds with no markets knowledge expected.
Academic signals work here
Conference publications and PhD pedigree carry more weight than at most funds; if you have them, lead with them - your referrer will.
Adjacent arms widen the surface
Two Sigma Ventures, insurance (TSIQ), and private investing hire operators, data scientists, and investors through the same referral culture with thinner applicant pools.