AUT - Ask Rocko
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Ask Rocko
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#7
Julie: How much different is your working life against your study life?
A: Hi Julie, there's pressure to perform from both academic and business environments. Preference is probably subjective, some people enjoy working with textbook theories, and others find real world challenges more interesting.
#6
Alex: Hey Rocko, just wanna ask you, other than the core papers, what others did you take? In the Honors as well? Do u think that doing a conjoint of Applied Maths and Economics gives you a bigger edge in getting a quant job or a trader job?
A: Hi Alex, Game Theory was a very helpful class when I did honours. Outside of this, I did a lot of reading on my own around financial mathematics and econometrics.
When it comes down to getting work, you gotta develop relationships with people in the industry. I started off talking to some folks at http://www.wilmott.com/, scouted http://www.quantfinancejobs.com/, and of course family/friends in relevant fields. So I'm not saying taking a uni class wouldn't help, just that to get an edge in this field, you must start making friends ASAP.
Good luck!
#5
Bryan: G'day Rocko! I'm keen on getting to know more about futures and trading - got any tips on getting to grips with the basics? And if I was to go back to uni - how strong does my math have to be??!
A: Hi Bryan, first I highly recommend that you review any literature around the basic structure of whatever instrument you want to trade, e.g. exchange regulations, auction type utilized, institutions involved, etc. To pursue applied mathematics for this field, you can start from scratch at uni. It’s never too late.
#4
Helena Irons: Hi Rocko. I've read your article and it's really intriguing. My question is: Will your current role eventually lead you into new areas of business - and what might they look like? ie: where's the future in trading; is it fluid or static?
A: Hi Helena, a lot of my peers end up running their own hedge funds, investment banks, or simply retire, travel the world, etc. There are a lot of options available.
#3
Adam: How did you prove the EMH wrong?
A: I didn't. It was realized through Warren Buffet's story of how he made his initial fortune through classical arbitrage, which EMH insists to be impossible.
#2
YLangdon: Hi Rocko! How do I become a Quantitative Analyst? What papers should I focus on?
A: Hi YLangdon, Mathematics, statistics, and programming are key skills. Internships at financial institutions like hedge funds, clearing firms, exchanges, etc help to get your foot in the door.
#1
MelC: What’s it like to work as a Quantitative Analyst?
A: Challenging, and not for the faint of heart. It feels like a massive cutthroat game where it's you versus EVERYBODY, because everybody is literally trying to exploit your algorithms and take your money. Sometimes the firm gives you a whole bunch of data and says: "There, now make money." It's really up to you to stay ahead of the curve, and keep developing tools to maintain a positive expectation for the traders decisions.