I'm a buy side Quant Researcher at a top hedge fund (Jane Street/Two Sigma/AQR/etc). AMA

Hi all,

In the spirit of sharing and helping prospective students (I'm a senior buy side quant researcher. AMA), it's my honor to use this platform to interact with students who might be interested in this career path.

Who Am I: I'm a quantitative researcher working in systematic trading. I develop alpha signals to forecast the future prices of various financial instruments. I first learned C++ nearly 20 years ago, so I used QuantNet to refresh my knowledge on recent language features. I do not hold an MFE degree, but I have a master's degree in statistics and a PhD in artificial intelligence. I have 5~10 years of work experience.

About My Company: a tier-1 hedge fund (like DE Shaw, HRT, Jane Street, Millennium, Tower, etc.)

Why Am I doing this: Andy initially reached out, and I thought this might be beneficial to students or anyone interested in quant trading.

Ground rule: Feel free to ask me anything related to my professional experience or the quant finance industry in general. However, due to privacy and anonymity concerns, I won't be able to answer personal or overly specific identifying questions. All views expressed here are my own and do not represent those of my employer or others in similar roles.

 

[vnye]

Hi all,

In the spirit of sharing and helping prospective students (I'm a senior buy side quant researcher. AMA), it's my honor to use this platform to interact with students who might be interested in this career path.

Who Am I: I'm a quantitative researcher working in systematic trading. I develop alpha signals to forecast the future prices of various financial instruments. I first learned C++ nearly 20 years ago, so I used QuantNet to refresh my knowledge on recent language features. I do not hold an MFE degree, but I have a master's degree in statistics and a PhD in artificial intelligence. I have 5~10 years of work experience.

About My Company: a tier-1 hedge fund (like DE Shaw, HRT, Jane Street, Millennium, Tower, etc.)

Why Am I doing this: Andy initially reached out, and I thought this might be beneficial to students or anyone interested in quant trading.

Ground rule: Feel free to ask me anything related to my professional experience or the quant finance industry in general. However, due to privacy and anonymity concerns, I won't be able to answer personal or overly specific identifying questions. All views expressed here are my own and do not represent those of my employer or others in similar roles.


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Hi qn,

I’m a high school senior seeking guidance on the best roadmap as I finalize my college applications. I’m fairly set on pursuing a career in quantitative finance, though I’m still exploring which specific focus to pursue. I’m particularly curious about the ideal path to maximize my chances of eventually joining a top-tier hedge fund (e.g., Jane Street, DE, Millennium).

Currently, I’m interested in physics, but I’m uncertain whether majoring in Engineering Physics or Pure Physics would be the better route. I’d also appreciate advice on the optimal graduate school path for either major. Alternatively, if another undergrad major + masters would better position me for quant roles, I’d love to hear your thoughts. (I'm fairly deadset on higher education, unless otherwise would be superior)

Thank you for your guidance!

 

[MiaomiaoCui]

Hi, thanks a lot for your time!

I am currently a Chinese student applying for MFE programs, and I have two questions:

1. Is it still possible for Chinese nationals to become quants on Wall Street?
2. My undergraduate major is actuarial science. I have completed internships in consulting, insurance, and currently in a top IB. Although I don’t have direct experience in quantitative finance, I do have strong mathematical foundations and solid coding skills. What would you suggest I do— or highlight in my applications— to increase my competitiveness?

I would really appreciate any advice. Thank you!

 

[MikeLawrence]

I am currently a Chinese student applying for MFE programs, and I have two questions:

1. Is it still possible for Chinese nationals to become quants on Wall Street?

You cannot be serious.

 

[MiaomiaoCui]

You cannot be serious.

Sadly it's true

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Sadly it's true

If you look at the alumni profiles of many MFE programs, you see majority of them is Chinese.
Or just a casual browse on LinkedIn.
So yes, MFE is the primary path for many students to be a Wall street quant.

 

[MiaomiaoCui]

If you look at the alumni profiles of many MFE programs, you see majority of them is Chinese.
Or just a casual browse on LinkedIn.
So yes, MFE is the primary path for many students to be a Wall street quant.

Thank you very much! That's a lot of help. I am new to here, so sry for asking something seems like common knowledge.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Thank you very much! That's a lot of help. I am new to here, so sry for asking something seems like common knowledge.

Everyone starts at some point. Take a look around to read, the longer you stay here, the more informed you are as an applicant and practitioner.
Read the master reading list, the articles on the front page to start.