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Another wannabe quant seeking advice

steveshank

steveshank

Joined
3/28/10
Messages
6
Points
11
I have a few questions, but first some background information on my situation...

- Currently doing a Ph. D. in mathematics at a lesser known school. Finishing in a year, working in numerical linear algebra. Published and have spoken at several conferences.
- Good knowledge of numerical PDEs, some probability (perfect score on SOA Exam P, got an A in measure theoretic grad course)
- No relevant work experience to finance, though I have interned at a national lab
- Co-creator of an app on the app store and an inventory app sold and being used in industry
- Some C++ experience for research and coursework. Very experienced in MATLAB, proficient with Python, SQL, Excel
- Not much knowledge of statistics (one undergrad course) or data mining

My question is, with a decent amount of self-study, could I be a competitive candidate for a quantitative analyst position? If so, what areas should I target over the next few months to be as strong a candidate as possible (outside of a core knowledge of finance and Wall Street from the books of Wilmott, Hull, Joshi, Kuznetsov, etc.) given my background and the types of positions I'd be considered for?

If I would not be very competitive, are there other positions that I may be competitive for that would bode well for a quant career in the next few years (business/financial analyst or risk management, perhaps)? Or would it be better to apply to MFE programs?

Any advice is greatly appreciated, and I am happy to answer any questions. Many thanks in advance!
 
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What is your Phd dissertation title?
It is not what you have done enough self studies, the questions is what you have been trained for?
If your Phd dissertation research is not relevant, perhaps MFE is preferable than non related Phd mathematics.
 
Dissertation does not have a title yet, but it is not directly related to finance, though some tangential connections could be made. We had a guy from my program working in a similar field (numerical PDEs, but not finance) who managed to get a few phone interviews with investment banks and hedge funds. I was hoping to do the same, and be to communicate enough finance knowledge to come across as competent for the position.

Wasn't sure how common this was...? If it's not so common, I was also wondering about other business positions where a mathematics Ph. D. might be welcomed aboard (probably viewed as risky)... perhaps credit risk analysts, or other risk management positions? Then transition to a quant role after a few years? Or is MFE the way to go?
 
steveshank said:
We had a guy from my program working in a similar field (numerical PDEs, but not finance) who managed to get a few phone interviews with investment banks and hedge funds. I was hoping to do the same, and be to communicate enough finance knowledge to come across as competent for the position.
Click to expand...

It's not hard to get a few phone interviews from very good places. These interviews are not as knowledge-based as you seem to think. They will test how clever you are, how you deal with pressure, and how interested you really are in the industry.
 
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