Please take a look at my profile. I have recently taken the CFA Level 1 exam (still awaiting results), have an MSc in Quantitative Finance, and have traded on my own for a decade plus. I am looking to transition sometime within the next 12-18 months and am fully focused on completing the CFA exams and picking up some Python programming expertise.
If there is anybody in the community who would be willing to mentor and/or assist me in the job search I would be very grateful. In January 2012 I interviewed with a few bulge bracket firms, a 'real-time' hedge fund research advisor, and the CME Group. After mulling over options with my wife, who works for USAID, we decided to give the international development/expeditionary lifestyle one last go but are fully committed to transitioning.
Regards,
Matthew Mueller
Answers
Hi Matt,
I would encourage you to look through the Advisor+ Directory (on the righthand side of your screen), and send a private message to Advisors who have some of the experience that you're looking for. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions!
I will send you a connection request on LinkedIn. I can introduce you to a contact at PIMCO. While obviously not a hedge fund, they employ traders and analysts. They have offices NYC and CA also overseas in many of the areas you mentioned. We can see if he can introduce you to some traders there at least to get some advice. I attended a workshop in June at PIMCO that was sponsored by the IAVA, so they are certainly military friendly.
I have experience in the financial service industry, but not in the areas you are looking to transition to. But any acronym after your name (CFA, CFP, CPA) is like gold in that world. Adds a lot of credibility to your resume even if you don't have experience, so good luck!
also see: http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~jhasbrou/Miscellaneous/JH_Quantitative%20finance.pdf
and some old guy in the Mid_west once wrote: "Investors should be skeptical of history-based models. Constructed by a nerdy-sounding priesthood using esoteric terms such as beta, gamma, sigma and the like, these models tend to look impressive. Too often, though, investors forget to examine the assumptions behind the symbols. Our advice: Beware of geeks bearing formulas."
Organizations that offer networking, mentoring and educational opportunities include the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute, cfainstitute.org) and QWAFAFEW (the "Quantitative Work Alliance for Applied Finance, Education and Wisdom", see qwafafew.org . Both have LinkedIn groups.
Regarding Quantitative Finance, it is a broad field, and can involve everything from trades held for milliseconds (high-frequency trading, perhaps a form of "automated market-making") to investments owned "forever" (certain value-oriented investors that utilize "quantitative" screens and other "quant" techniques.)
Some recommended background reading, somewhat but not exclusively quantitative:
1) http://theinvestmentsblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/buffett-three-chapters-investors-should.html
"* Those three chapters are 8 and 20 of The Intelligent Investor
(Benjamin Graham, 1949) and chapter 12 of The General Theory of
Employment, Interest, and Money (John Maynard Keynes, 1936).
-Chapter 8 in Graham's The Intelligent Investor is "The Investor and
Market Fluctuations."
-Chapter 20 in Graham's The Intelligent Investor is "Margin of Safety
as the Central Concept of Investment." -Chapter 12 in Keynes' General
Theory is "The State of Long-Term Expectation."
2)
I like Dr. Shiller's work, speeches, interviews, etc. quite a bit:
e.g.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/irrational-exuberance/oclc/42980281&referer=brief_results
http://www.worldcat.org/title/finance-and-the-good-society/oclc/761851056&referer=brief_results
3)
http://www.worldcat.org/title/when-genius-failed-the-rise-and-fall-of-long-term-capital-management
4)
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=where+are+the+customers+yachts
Matt, message me directly and I'll see if I can help with networkign and advice. - Tom
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your service. If you are interested in working with a Mentor when you are back in the States, I would encourage you to apply to ACP's Veteran Mentoring Program. We work with many of the major Investment Banks such as JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Barclay's and Goldman Sachs. In September, we also started to work with our first hedge fund, Och-Ziff. Feel free to check out our website and if you have any questions just send me a message!
Happy Holidays,
Samantha
Thank you very much for the input thus far. Is there anybody else in the community who might be willing to mentor me?
Regards,
Matt
Thanks Chris, I am just beginning on my search so any possible connections will be helpful. I appreciate your reply.
Matt
Things work out?
I have some connections in NYC. So reach out if you like.
Chris
Spencer,
Again, thank you very much for your assistance.
Matt
I should add, I am also fine with London, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, etc. International is not a problem for me. Texas and Florida could also work if my wife has the possibility of finding work in her field. Wherever the opportunity is great.
Probably New York City/Northern NJ/CT, but not opposed to most locations on the eastern Seaboard from DC - Boston, or the Bay Area. I lived in Boston from 2010-2012, but currently in the Middle East. Chicago would be a tougher sell to my spouse, but I understand it is definitely a trading town.
Matthew where are you located or looking to locate?
Your Answer
Pleaselog into answer this question.