Paul & Dominic's Guide to Quant Careers Version 2.0 Now Available

[DominiConnor]

As promised we have totally rewritten and greatly expanded our Guide to Getting a Quant Job.
Yes, it really is 137 pages this time, and yes it still is free.

We have adjusted our advice to current market conditions.

MY INTERVIEW IS IN TWO DAYS TIME ............................................................................................. 3
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 5
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T GET A JOB IN QUANT FINANCE ............................................................... 7
HOW TO WRITE A GOOD QUANT CV ................................................................................................ 10
INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................................................ 31
APPEARANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 41
HOW INTERVIEWS GO WRONG .......................................................................................................... 48
WHICH PHD SHOULD I DO .................................................................................................................... 50
GOOD THINGS TO DO IN A PHD .................................................................................................................. 59
BAD THINGS TO DO IN A PHD ..................................................................................................................... 60
WHY WE HATE MONTE CARLO. ......................................................................................................... 62
WHAT PEOPLE GET WRONG ............................................................................................................... 68
WHO WILL INTERVIEW YOU............................................................................................................... 74
HR INTERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 76
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MATHEMATICS SEEN IN FINANCE ............................................... 80
READING LIST ......................................................................................................................................... 84
WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ...................................................................................................................... 88
WHAT YOU MUST HAVE CODED UP .................................................................................................. 89
FINITE-DIFFERENCE METHODS ................................................................................................................... 90
PROGRAM OF STUDY FOR FINITE-DIFFERENCE METHODS ............................................................................. 91
MONTE CARLO METHODS .......................................................................................................................... 92
SUMMARY OF NUMERICAL METHODS ....................................................................................................... 95
PROGRAMMING SKILLS ....................................................................................................................... 96
C++ .............................................................................................................................................................. 98
DEALING WITH OFFERS ........................................................................................................................... 101
SPOTTING BAD JOBS ............................................................................................................................ 105
BEING FOREIGN .................................................................................................................................... 109
BEING FEMALE ..................................................................................................................................... 112
BEING OLDER ........................................................................................................................................ 113
DEALING WITH HEADHUNTERS ...................................................................................................... 116
HOW TO QUIT ........................................................................................................................................ 121
BEING FIRED ........................................................................................................................................... 125
USEFUL LINKS ....................................................................................................................................... 126
CHOOSING WHICH MATHEMATICS TO LEARN NEXT .............................................................. 131
TRANSITION FROM IT TO QUANT FINANCE ................................................................................ 133
WHAT TV GAMESHOWS CAN TELL US ABOUT MATHEMATICAL FINANCE ............................................. 136
HOW TO COMPARE MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS ............................................................................... 137

[amsh]

Hi,

i have mailed u my resume...pls help to send me a copy of the book....

thnks,

[DominiConnor]

Sadly I don't have any way of mapping QN names to real people, so I don't know who you are ?

[Andy]

Approximately, how long after you receive one's CV, you will send out the guide ?

[amsh]

ya you wont know from my QN id...but i have sent you the mail along with my resume from my personal id...isnt that enough?....

[amsh]

Hi DominiConnor

its been a week since i sent you my resume...does it take longer than this to send the copy...
or is it no longer free??....

thnks,

[ramnik]

in my case over a month...... i even sent a reminder about a fortnight back :cry:

[Andy]

Ah, then I'll see my copy sometime next year then ;)
The poor guy's mailbox must be overflown of CV and reminder to send the guide

[Johnhoo]

hi Dom,

I have just sent you my CV and my email address is juhnjett@hotmail.com. let me know if you have sent me the career guide please?

[Andy]

in my case over a month...... i even sent a reminder about a fortnight back :cry:
He can do better than this. ;)
Waiting over a month for a pdf file is just ridiculous.
Some sites can even be set up so that when you upload your CV, a link or a window will pop up to allow you to download right away.
Or at least, a VB script to send out the guide to people in the database.

My guess is that DC is still working on a reasonable delivery method which is surprising since he should expect the level of demands from Guide 1.0 ;)

[kean]

the guide is great though many information seems to obtain through Wilmott.com. it is useful anyway.

[tracylee]

Hi,

I have sent you my CV. My email address is tracycgu@gmail.com
Could you send me a copy of your book? Thank you very much!

[DominiConnor]

OK, we have now checked that there really should not be anyone who asked for the Guide who did not get it. All Cvs will get read by a real person after the surge has died down.

Please let me know if you have sent your CV and not got it, and I will personally send you a copy.

[finssite]

Hi Dominic,

Please send me a copy of the guide. My email id is srsaran1 at g m a i l . c o m

I've sent you my CV.

Thank You,
Shakti

[amsh]

Hi DC,

I have sent you my CV a month ago....pls send the guide to me....

thnks,

[Ashish Tare]

Hi Dominic,
i have sent you my CV, at your convinience, please send me the guide at ashytare@gmail.com

Thanks and Regards
Ashish Tare

[nysc]

Hi Dominic,

I have sent you my CV too. Can you send me the guide at ny_su@Yahoo.com.
Thanks a lot!

Su

[ielgayar]

Hi Dominic,

Can you please email me a copy of the guide. I emailed my CV to you a few days ago.
My email is i.elgayar@gmail.com


Thanks, Ibrahim

[dnquark]

Apologies for a "me too" reply, but I would like to peruse this guide very much (hopefully, before my interviews come up :) ). Please send it to dnquark@yahoo.com, or just reply to the email with my CV (I am Leo A.)

[ielgayar]

Hi Dominic,

I know you probably very busy, just wanted to leave a reminder for you to send me the guide. I emailed you my C.V three weeks ago.

Thanks ,
Ibrahim
email : i.elgayar@gmail.com

[watercooler]

can I have a copy, dude?yc1982xady@hotmail.comthanks a million.

[writankar]

hi dominic,
would request you to mail me the guide: writankar.kundu@gmail.com! thanx in advance!!

cheers

[madmax]

hi,

I also sent you my profile a couple of days ago (my name is Massimo P.); could you please send your guide at mad_about_motu@yahoo.fr?
thanks in advance, m8!

M.

[cccli]

Hi Dominic,

I emailed my CV to you .Can you please email me a copy of the guide to claireqin07@gmail.com.
thank a lot!:)

[Pravit]

These types of threads always seem like an exercise in futility, but I, too, would appreciate a copy (I sent my CV a month ago) - my e-mail is pravit726 (at) gmail.com

[nodicjon]

Hi Dominic,
Please kindly send a copy to nfayzullaev{at}gmail[dot]com, I've sent you a couple for emails (with my CV's) some time ago,
Thanks,
Nodir

[DominiConnor]

I've sent Guides to everyone here, using my personal email account in case my business address is somehow the problem.

I apologise for this, and if you have not received it by the time you read this post, PM me and I'll get it to you another way.

[nansverma]

I had mailed you a long time back..havent received it yet..I will mail you again today..hope to get it soon..

Thanks

[Pravit]

I finally got it, woohoo! I didn't think posting my e-mail here would actually work.. Thanks Dominic!

[Osman Abi]

Hi Dominic,
I have sent my resume about a week ago, I would be very glad if you could send the guide to charut@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance

[hsyam]

I have also send my resume a couple of weeks ago....could you please forward me the copy as well at jkap09@gmail.com

[fatboyslim]

why we need to send dominic our resumes for exchange of the guide? is it true that the guide is sortof updated based on the pool of resumes?

[DominiConnor]

why we need to send dominic our resumes for exchange of the guide?
It is one way we help to grow the set of people we talk to.

But, just to make it clear, we never ever send your CV to anyone without you giving permission to send it to that particular firm.

is it true that the guide is sortof updated based on the pool of resumes?
It's not really based upon CVs, more on our experience as both headhunters and people who have worked in banking for a long time.
A growing % of the input is from readers and clients who feed back things that need covering.
The "live rat in your coffee" is actually based upon conversations with candidates, but we've smothered the original detail to protect the innocent.

Version 2.1 is under way, and if there's anything you'd like to see more of, let us know.

[Andy]

Version 2.1 is under way, and if there's anything you'd like to see more of, let us know.
Maybe things to look out for when selecting an MFE program, given how much you have learned about this topic the last few months.

Do you take advertisement in your guide?

[Sanket Patel]

Dominic,

What's general turnaround time - from when I sent email my resume to when I receive the guide? I sent a copy of my resume a few months ago and again not too long ago. Also sent you a PM as you indicated several posts below...

[hsyam]

Hi Dominic,

I sent you a copy of my resume several weeks ago, but still haven't received the copy of the Guide to Quant Careers and was wondering if you can please forward it to me..

My email address is jkap09@gmail.com

[zheng cheng]

Hi Dominic,
I'm a student of MSMF at Rutgers and I sent you my CV a couple months ago for the guide and then again a few weeks later.
I would really love to read the guide and share your career tips. But I haven't been fortunate enough so far.
Would you please forward me the guide when you're not so busy? Thanks.
email: zcheng@eden.rutgers.edu

[cstassen]

Hi. I've sent you my resume. Could you please send me your book to stassen@c.dk? Thanks!

[Poomrang]

Hi, I sent you my resume. could u please send me the guide at poomrang@hotmail.comthx

[emil]

Hi Dominic,

I've just sent you a copy of my resume and I'm hopping to receive the Guide to Quant Careers.

Thank you,
Emil

[Sanket Patel]

Same situation as the posts below me, I've sent a copy of my resume several times.

smp04c@fsu.edu

[cheetjihun]

I've sent my resume and my email address is cheetjihun{at}gmail.com (cheetjihun@gmail.com) @ please send the awesome guide at your soonest convenience. Thank you.

[yaso]

I've also sent in my cv but didn't get anything back so far... Thomas

[CKit]

I have also sent my CV (twice) but didn't get the guide yet. My email is kchanatip@gmail.com.

[jlee]

Same situation here. joshua2101@hotmail.com Thanks Dominic!

[bordeaux]

Hi Dominic,

I've just sent you my resume.
I would really like to read your guide and tips.
Could you please send me the guide to:
sean.ryo (at) gmail.com ?

Thanks!

Chuh-Hun

[Prashant]

Hi Dominic,

I sent you my resume about 3 weeks ago and I have not recieved the guide either.

My email address is ppatel1@optonline.net.


thank you,
Prashant

[MidasCFA]

has anyone received the guide before as promised?

[Sanket Patel]

Yes, I received the guide.

[vkaul]

I haven't received the guide dominic. My email is vkaul1@yahoo.com
Vivek

[torchedlh]

I would love a copy. torchedlh@yahoo.com

thanks

[anandp]

Please send me a copy of the guide patel_anand@yahoo.com

[maxb]

Hi. I sent my resume on June 13. My email is http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/9efachqw/email2.png. Thank you.

[Telecaster]

Hi, could I please get one as well? (I sent you my CV on 8 April 2008)
address: attila dot ozelci04 at ic dot ac dot uk

many thanks!

[edtsay]

Hello Dominic - I've sent my resume to you a couple times but I haven't received your guide yet.

I was just wondering if you give the guide to everyone who sends you a resume or is it limited to only people you are interested in? I'm hoping it was just lost in junk mail =\

my email is eddie_tsay@hotmail.com

Thanks!

[ianfin]

Hi Dominic,

Are you still accepting CVs (and sending the document) ? If so I will prepare my CV in next week.

[DelDongo]

Hi Dominic,

Can you please send over your guide?
I have sent you my CV. My email is nicolas.quant@gmail.com
Best regards,
Nicolas

[vkaul]

I don't think he sends it anymore.

[doug reich]

I'm not so sure about that; I think he's backed up is all.

Look down the thread a little; people at various points ask about it and are told someone else got it recently.

Dominic, have you considered hiring an outsourcing agency to handle this kind of task, i.e. screening resumes, organizing them, and sending out your guide?

Personal Assistant - Concierge Services - Sunday 24/7 Personal Assistants (http://asksunday.com/)
Get Friday
(https://getfriday.com/index.php)

[daleholborow]

Dominic, have you considered hiring an outsourcing agency to handle this kind of task, i.e. screening resumes, organizing them, and sending out your guide?

Personal Assistant - Concierge Services - Sunday 24/7 Personal Assistants (http://asksunday.com/)
Get Friday
(https://getfriday.com/index.php)

Just out of perverse curiosity (and not meaning to to start any war of words), does anyone here actually use one of these 'buy back your life' personal assistants? I know that its certainly not something I'd bother to do, but then, I'm not in a position where I really need pay someone to book me a restaurant...

I seem to remember some famous guy, '4 hours a week' or something to that effect, who wrote a popular book recently and raves over outsourcing his life to India, but when I looked at his website, he just reminds me of the "impossible is nothing" guy...

[doug reich]

I tried it as an experiment to help me find a moving company. I didn't feel it was particularly helpful, although it put my mind at ease that I had already found the best deal.

Four hour workweek - -that's where I heard about it: The 4-Hour Workweek and Timothy Ferriss (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com) and 301 Moved Permanently (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog)

He's a shameless self-promoter. It can get a little tiring.

[daleholborow]

But its not something you'd ever bother with again?

I find the concept a bit strange, unless you happen to be the CEO of some major bank and are pressed for time... but then, after reading a recent article on the collapse of Bear Sterns, it sounds like those guys just sit around playing bridge all day anyway :P

[doug reich]

But its not something you'd ever bother with again?

Depends. For a few bucks, I don't see why I wouldn't pay someone to do something menial but important to my business. But, I don't have a business, and I don't see it being helpful in my daily life. After all, why would I have someone read my personal email; I would take steps to reduce that email if I didn't like reading it.

I think it is perfect for something like what Dominic has with these resumes; menial, mindless, tedious, important. I assume it helps generate some revenue directly or indirectly.

[daleholborow]

Mmm.. I am fairly new to this and other quant finance forums, but recently (last night? time is all kind of blurring together lately), saw that Dominic and co actually have a separate site that it appears you can register for, in order to apply for jobs etc.

I haven't joined up for that yet, but perhaps that's another avenue for finding some information on what's available?

... I just went to try to find the link, except for some reason, wilmott (which is where I think the link to the p&d page is) is painfully slow for me normally, and failing to load entirely for me now...

[doug reich]

I think you're talking about a job board; the guide is for informational purposes of a more qualitative manner (what do employers look at; how does this or that look on your resume; trends in hiring; interview material). I doubt you'd get this level of depth from reading forums.

I should probably get on this guide myself...

[daleholborow]

Yeehah... got a copy of the guides :D. Thanks Dominic, looks tops.

Now, to read in extensive detail and figure out whether I should chase a job come the end of the year, or shoot for the phd...

[cstassen]

Hmmm, I asked for the guide a while ago, so here we go again:

Dominic, can I please have the guide? my email is stassen@c.dk, and I have sent you my CV

[sherbert]

Hi,

I'd like to receive a copy (your post convinced me to register on these forums). I just sent you my resume from sherbert AT andrew DOT cmu DOT edu.

Thanks!

[frstwrldprblm]

Dominic,
Emailed a while ago, but will try to touch base again. I am sure it must have gotten lost in the shuffle.
Thanks!

[AYanaly]

Hello Dominic

I would like to receive a copy and have just sent you my resume.
My email is madlaxmelody@yahoo.com

[DHaynes]

I'd like a copy.

dhaynes2@mail.utexas.edu

Thanks

[ranald]

sent my resume a while ago

rannif2@gmail.com

[samiam]

Sent you my resume a while ago Domini.

Could you please send me the guide at skang357@yahoo.com.

Thanks and cheers. HH