Hi,
I am working on a PhD dissertation in particle physics. The thing is, up until now, I have been quite a solitary soul, i.e, I have no or very little interaction with my other classmates as I have been spending most of my time learning QFT, doing the homeworks, studying for exams (I have passed the PhD qualifiers) and now working on my dissertation. Obviously, this type of study and research is done by oneself as it mostly requires quietly thinking about problems, solving equations, coding and then writing the results up. Now, when I look at some job adverts for quants, they are saying that they want a PhD in physics or maths but also someone who is a "team player". I would have thought that these two qualities were almost entirely mutually exclusive. I can't imagine how I'd react with some trader yelling at me to fix his spreadsheet as I never have had anyone yelling at me here in the physics department. In fact that would quite upset my thought processes, and contemplative solitude that I require to produce any meaningful results. Any advice/experience others may have had in the transition from academia to quant trading here would be most welcome. Am I just too delicate to become a quant, or does one learn to adapt to a noisy trading floor. Or better still, will they give my own room when I join a hedge fund?
Regards,
Hector.
Team Player
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hector
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- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2004 12:00 am
Team Player
Gravity affects everyone, even Goldman.
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Nonius
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Team Player
the whole "Team Player" thing is sort of BS in my opinion. Quants don't get into a room and scribble equations on a board en-masse. a lot of the time they work alone. I'm not even sure "team player" makes a lot of sense for most traders.
It's much more important to be smart.
keep in mind that if you have a twitch in your eye, your fly is undone with your shirt tail sticking out, you have a greasy, pok marked complexion, and can't fit in socially it might be difficult. in that sense I think "team player" is a euphemism for "can fit in socially" (can take/make jokes, won't cry, won't be a dick etc.).
It's much more important to be smart.
keep in mind that if you have a twitch in your eye, your fly is undone with your shirt tail sticking out, you have a greasy, pok marked complexion, and can't fit in socially it might be difficult. in that sense I think "team player" is a euphemism for "can fit in socially" (can take/make jokes, won't cry, won't be a dick etc.).
Chiral is Tyler Durden
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hector
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- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2004 12:00 am
Team Player
I can't promise I won't be a little bit of a dick at times, but hey, no one's perfect Wink .
Gravity affects everyone, even Goldman.
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JoeC
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2004 12:00 am
Team Player
Being a "quant trader" vs a "quant researcher" vs a "desk quant"(don't overvalue the titles) are vastly different roles - that vary widely between firms, sectors, strategies, and managers(or business heads as the case may be).
(Modeling pricing analytics for CDO's, pre-payment or default modeling) vs (high frequency stat arb) are as different as the tour de france and a down hill mountian bike race - they both have riders, bikes, and time/course is relevant - but beyond that the simularities get thin.
Based on what you said about your research and your personality a model based trading group (stat arb, etc) will probably be more to your likeing than a deal based business. I work with a variety of funds and prop shops and I think the notion of the yelling trader is a bit more hollywood than reality. Screaming at people isn't a good way to make them want to help you in any business.
You will have to interact with people more in a firm than what you described about your research; but being someone's pinatta isn't a neccecity to working in finance (at most firms).
(Modeling pricing analytics for CDO's, pre-payment or default modeling) vs (high frequency stat arb) are as different as the tour de france and a down hill mountian bike race - they both have riders, bikes, and time/course is relevant - but beyond that the simularities get thin.
Based on what you said about your research and your personality a model based trading group (stat arb, etc) will probably be more to your likeing than a deal based business. I work with a variety of funds and prop shops and I think the notion of the yelling trader is a bit more hollywood than reality. Screaming at people isn't a good way to make them want to help you in any business.
You will have to interact with people more in a firm than what you described about your research; but being someone's pinatta isn't a neccecity to working in finance (at most firms).