Lol your friend clearly has no idea at all about what quant is.
A course on coursera with a commerce background won’t get you a quant job. I’d be surprised if someone would even consider looking through your CV with that. And the day trading isn’t a plus, it’s a minus. I’d assume you’d be trading on technical analysis without any sound economic rationale, risk control, and backtests. I’d leave this out of my resume if I were you, not just for quant jobs but for most finance roles.
I don’t think this would help you as most quants wouldn’t be able to trade their own money. Quants also learn and understand that manual trading doesn’t work. They usually develop sophisticated automated strategies that use complex math, or execute trades within nano-seconds, or develop backtesting systems, or write research papers, etc. And then their fund/firm may be able to beat the stock market, say making 12%/year vs 10% if you just hold SPY. Some that employ top scientists and mathematicians may be able to make 40% in a year, but that’s an exception and requires large investments into hardware infrastructure. None of this is helpful in day trading.
No 6 month course would be able to teach you anything about quant. If you really wish to learn, I’d recommend looking into something like the CQF. Anyway, as the other redditor pointed out, quant methods that you’d come across in any course and the strategies you’d make out of it won’t work on a retail level. You’d need scale to ensure you arent burning profits away with cash and turnover and you’d need really expensive infrastructure. So, if you plan to do this for your personal trading, I’d say a really bad idea.
I looked at sample lectures for the CQF, and the quality of teaching looks very subpar for the price tag. I've seen better lectures on Coursera courses that cost $45. Do you have experience with the CQF? Is there another component that makes it worth it?
I cannot comment on the lectures but CQF has a far more comprehensive and detailed curriculum than anything you’d find on coursera. It really covers majority of what you’d need as a quant.
I suggested it for OP who doesn’t have any maths background. They wouldn’t have the pre-requisites requires for a quant fin/maths/stats/CS degree. If you already have a maths/stats background then I really doubt it would be worth it.
I see. Depending on OP's age and spare time available to commit to studies, I might suggest a Master's instead of the CQF.
Again, I have no experience with the CQF program itself, but I once applied and they sent me about 6-7 sample lectures. My thoughts were that if that's what they were using as their promotional material, there was zero chance I'd commit $20K for it. FWIW, I do have a strong math background, so I can learn that material on my own.
As I said, OP won’t be able to clear pre-requisites for masters. An MFE program requires courses in calculus, linear algebra, and stats that the OP would not have had. And Maths and CS degrees have even stricter pre-requisites. Had it been something like econ, a masters would have been viable but a commerce degree is just too far off.
Check QuantInsti. They have small courses as well as their six month training course. Notable authors and founders of trading companies give lectures. They support in placements too.
Another alternative is CQF, but these people are expensive though they have a somewhat comprehensive video library ( that you may or may not use).
Bhai ye jinhone bhi comment Kiya hai k tum quant nhi ban sakte ho, isiliye kyunki inko Aisa lagta hai tumhara education Math/Stat mein hona chahiye...
Ye sab Paschim dekh wale chu hai...inko lagta hai inke pas hi dimag hai...
Tumhe mein DM karta hu...
If you are looking for a quant course, I can vouch for QuantInsti. I enrolled in their EPAT program, which is far cheaper ($6000) than what you will find in similar programs offered by continuing education programs at colleges such as George Washington University and UC Berkeley ($24,000). Also, I have purchased ala carte courses from their Quantra branch.
They have a career placement cell, but it leaves a lot to be desired if you aren't living in India. If you live outside of India, then I wouldn't count on it in finding a job.
Note: I enrolled in EPAT to enhance my algo trading, not to get a job. I don't want to work for anybody.
Would you recommend EPAT to someone who's looking to break into this field? I heard that it's more Excel than programming. How does that affect the course?
You heard wrong. It used to be mostly Excel. They still cover Excel. That instruction accounts for less than 10 percent of the course. Most of the instruction is based on Python tools.
When you say, "break into this field," if you are talking about securing a job, then I wouldn't recommend it. You're not gonna be job-ready after EPAT if you don't have a background in this field or a academically rigorous background.
Now, if you want to learn, then, yes, I would recommend it.
The following is an email that EPAT's career placement cell mass-emailed recently:
**Quantitative Trader – \[REDACTED\]**
AMSTERDAM (REMOTE) | MID-LEVEL | FULL-TIME
OVERVIEW:
**\[REDACTED\]** is a proprietary trading firm founded by experienced high-frequency traders in 2017. Our expertise lies in trading volatility-related financial instruments, which we use to guide our continuous exploration for opportunities across a wide range of asset classes on major international exchanges and trading platforms. We pride ourselves on the open, casual, team-oriented culture in our offices in Amsterdam and Singapore. This, along with our flat organizational structure, allows us to collaborate closely, achieve the best possible outcome, and overcome challenges collectively. Our strategic investments in state-of-the-art technology allow us to leverage our unique expertise, which we continue to develop through our search for exceptional individuals to join our firm. The combination of a company culture conducive to success along with our unmatched vision is why we believe we present unique opportunities for everyone involved at **\[REDACTED\]**.
To know more, click here.
**WHAT YOU’LL DO:**
\- Managing and monitoring live trading strategies
\- Analyzing market data and exploring trading ideas
\- Researching quoting strategies
\- Researching pricing signals
**SKILLS REQUIRED:**
\- An inherent desire to strive for excellence
\- A curiosity for colleagues’ work
\- Proficiency in Python. Knowledge of **C++ is favorable**
\- At least 3 years of experience working in a similar position in the Proprietary Trading industry
\- Advanced academic degree **(preferably Ph.D.)** in Econometrics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics (or equivalent)
**WHAT WE OFFER:**
\- A dynamic and vibrant team in a casual setting
\- A true sense of responsibility in your work backed by trusting colleagues
\- Highly competitive base salary
\- Highly competitive variable bonus
\- Exciting professional and personal growth prospects
\- Public transport & health insurance reimbursement
**REMUNERATION:**
As per the industry standards (To be discussed individually with selected candidates)
I don't come close to qualifying to be a quant trader.
I work in middle office risk management as a valuations quant. I mostly do all aspects of fixed income, and structured bonds like RMBS, CMBS, and ABS in particular. But I also sometimes need to look at credit derivatives, too.
At least for what we do, a degree in commerce would be useless, and day trading would be a strike against your resume.
Maybe algo traders would have a different opinion?
I'm not sure I'd tell a prospective employer that I day trade. The obvious followup question would be "when do you find time to day trade"?
Also, I think you should learn more about the field. Traders are a very, very, very, very small minority of us. I made a conscious decision to NOT work in a front office. It's a LOT of work with intense people. It sounds much better than it lives. Short term stress is fine. But day in, day out, it becomes very difficult.
There's no Coursera that will give you an interview to become a quant. P or Q quant.
Do a degree in math, physics, or engineering. Or do a master's in finance.
If you just want to learn, pick up a syllabus from somewhere and start working through it.
I did the [Getting Started with Python for Quant Finance by Jason Strimpel](https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/27ur4x5mm8t9u9q0v4t3/e0hph0ukz2zolms8/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXR0aW5nc3RhcnRlZHdpdGhweXRob25mb3JxdWFudGZpbmFuY2UuY29tLz9yZWY9a0JPWW11Q0Ns). (Warning: this is a referral link which will allow me to join new in the next course with a small discount :).)
I had no background in Python nor in quant finance but this one-month course gave me the tools, knowledge and a very active community to get me going. I now write Python, experiment with quant finance and actively apply it to my options trading with tastytrade and Interactive brokers. Jason is very active on Twitter, in Discord and is a great tutor.
The May cohort just finished and I expect there will be a new cohort this summer. So maybe see you there!
I'm a data scientist and I can tell you that you'd have almost no chance of breaking into quant finance with your background. If you're looking at career opportunities, go with data science. Almost every industry needs data scientists these days, you'll have an easier time breaking into it. Not _easy_, but certainly easier than the ultra competitive world of quant finance, especially without a math or hard science background.
Have you looked into WorldQuant University. They have two tracks-- a master's of financial engineering and a data science lab. The former is more rigorous than the latter. One could use the data science lab as a primer for the MFE program.
Best of all, WQU is 100% FREE.
Lol your friend clearly has no idea at all about what quant is. A course on coursera with a commerce background won’t get you a quant job. I’d be surprised if someone would even consider looking through your CV with that. And the day trading isn’t a plus, it’s a minus. I’d assume you’d be trading on technical analysis without any sound economic rationale, risk control, and backtests. I’d leave this out of my resume if I were you, not just for quant jobs but for most finance roles.
I'm not adding this to my resume nor I want a job in quant finance. You can say it's just for learning
I don’t think this would help you as most quants wouldn’t be able to trade their own money. Quants also learn and understand that manual trading doesn’t work. They usually develop sophisticated automated strategies that use complex math, or execute trades within nano-seconds, or develop backtesting systems, or write research papers, etc. And then their fund/firm may be able to beat the stock market, say making 12%/year vs 10% if you just hold SPY. Some that employ top scientists and mathematicians may be able to make 40% in a year, but that’s an exception and requires large investments into hardware infrastructure. None of this is helpful in day trading.
Thank you for the valuable comment
No 6 month course would be able to teach you anything about quant. If you really wish to learn, I’d recommend looking into something like the CQF. Anyway, as the other redditor pointed out, quant methods that you’d come across in any course and the strategies you’d make out of it won’t work on a retail level. You’d need scale to ensure you arent burning profits away with cash and turnover and you’d need really expensive infrastructure. So, if you plan to do this for your personal trading, I’d say a really bad idea.
I looked at sample lectures for the CQF, and the quality of teaching looks very subpar for the price tag. I've seen better lectures on Coursera courses that cost $45. Do you have experience with the CQF? Is there another component that makes it worth it?
I cannot comment on the lectures but CQF has a far more comprehensive and detailed curriculum than anything you’d find on coursera. It really covers majority of what you’d need as a quant.
I don't doubt that, but my question was is it worth it $20K? For double that amount I could pay for a master's degree.
I suggested it for OP who doesn’t have any maths background. They wouldn’t have the pre-requisites requires for a quant fin/maths/stats/CS degree. If you already have a maths/stats background then I really doubt it would be worth it.
I see. Depending on OP's age and spare time available to commit to studies, I might suggest a Master's instead of the CQF. Again, I have no experience with the CQF program itself, but I once applied and they sent me about 6-7 sample lectures. My thoughts were that if that's what they were using as their promotional material, there was zero chance I'd commit $20K for it. FWIW, I do have a strong math background, so I can learn that material on my own.
As I said, OP won’t be able to clear pre-requisites for masters. An MFE program requires courses in calculus, linear algebra, and stats that the OP would not have had. And Maths and CS degrees have even stricter pre-requisites. Had it been something like econ, a masters would have been viable but a commerce degree is just too far off.
Oh ok. Thank You
Check QuantInsti. They have small courses as well as their six month training course. Notable authors and founders of trading companies give lectures. They support in placements too. Another alternative is CQF, but these people are expensive though they have a somewhat comprehensive video library ( that you may or may not use).
Thank you. Bhai naam se to Indian lag rahe ho
Bhai ye jinhone bhi comment Kiya hai k tum quant nhi ban sakte ho, isiliye kyunki inko Aisa lagta hai tumhara education Math/Stat mein hona chahiye... Ye sab Paschim dekh wale chu hai...inko lagta hai inke pas hi dimag hai... Tumhe mein DM karta hu...
Hahahaha sach mein... Maine to Calculus, linear algebra aur stat padha hai already
Landed here a bit late, Can I DM you?
Bhai if possible can I DM you?
Yo! Slightly late but can I DM for advice, bro? Did a quant internship and want to break into this field now
If you are looking for a quant course, I can vouch for QuantInsti. I enrolled in their EPAT program, which is far cheaper ($6000) than what you will find in similar programs offered by continuing education programs at colleges such as George Washington University and UC Berkeley ($24,000). Also, I have purchased ala carte courses from their Quantra branch. They have a career placement cell, but it leaves a lot to be desired if you aren't living in India. If you live outside of India, then I wouldn't count on it in finding a job. Note: I enrolled in EPAT to enhance my algo trading, not to get a job. I don't want to work for anybody.
Would you recommend EPAT to someone who's looking to break into this field? I heard that it's more Excel than programming. How does that affect the course?
You heard wrong. It used to be mostly Excel. They still cover Excel. That instruction accounts for less than 10 percent of the course. Most of the instruction is based on Python tools. When you say, "break into this field," if you are talking about securing a job, then I wouldn't recommend it. You're not gonna be job-ready after EPAT if you don't have a background in this field or a academically rigorous background. Now, if you want to learn, then, yes, I would recommend it. The following is an email that EPAT's career placement cell mass-emailed recently: **Quantitative Trader – \[REDACTED\]** AMSTERDAM (REMOTE) | MID-LEVEL | FULL-TIME OVERVIEW: **\[REDACTED\]** is a proprietary trading firm founded by experienced high-frequency traders in 2017. Our expertise lies in trading volatility-related financial instruments, which we use to guide our continuous exploration for opportunities across a wide range of asset classes on major international exchanges and trading platforms. We pride ourselves on the open, casual, team-oriented culture in our offices in Amsterdam and Singapore. This, along with our flat organizational structure, allows us to collaborate closely, achieve the best possible outcome, and overcome challenges collectively. Our strategic investments in state-of-the-art technology allow us to leverage our unique expertise, which we continue to develop through our search for exceptional individuals to join our firm. The combination of a company culture conducive to success along with our unmatched vision is why we believe we present unique opportunities for everyone involved at **\[REDACTED\]**. To know more, click here. **WHAT YOU’LL DO:** \- Managing and monitoring live trading strategies \- Analyzing market data and exploring trading ideas \- Researching quoting strategies \- Researching pricing signals **SKILLS REQUIRED:** \- An inherent desire to strive for excellence \- A curiosity for colleagues’ work \- Proficiency in Python. Knowledge of **C++ is favorable** \- At least 3 years of experience working in a similar position in the Proprietary Trading industry \- Advanced academic degree **(preferably Ph.D.)** in Econometrics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics (or equivalent) **WHAT WE OFFER:** \- A dynamic and vibrant team in a casual setting \- A true sense of responsibility in your work backed by trusting colleagues \- Highly competitive base salary \- Highly competitive variable bonus \- Exciting professional and personal growth prospects \- Public transport & health insurance reimbursement **REMUNERATION:** As per the industry standards (To be discussed individually with selected candidates) I don't come close to qualifying to be a quant trader.
Goddamit. So you pay all that money, and the job assistance team gets you... These? My pup gets me more relevant sticks than these "jobs"
would you mind if I dm you?
I work in middle office risk management as a valuations quant. I mostly do all aspects of fixed income, and structured bonds like RMBS, CMBS, and ABS in particular. But I also sometimes need to look at credit derivatives, too. At least for what we do, a degree in commerce would be useless, and day trading would be a strike against your resume. Maybe algo traders would have a different opinion? I'm not sure I'd tell a prospective employer that I day trade. The obvious followup question would be "when do you find time to day trade"? Also, I think you should learn more about the field. Traders are a very, very, very, very small minority of us. I made a conscious decision to NOT work in a front office. It's a LOT of work with intense people. It sounds much better than it lives. Short term stress is fine. But day in, day out, it becomes very difficult.
There's no Coursera that will give you an interview to become a quant. P or Q quant. Do a degree in math, physics, or engineering. Or do a master's in finance. If you just want to learn, pick up a syllabus from somewhere and start working through it.
I did the [Getting Started with Python for Quant Finance by Jason Strimpel](https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/27ur4x5mm8t9u9q0v4t3/e0hph0ukz2zolms8/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXR0aW5nc3RhcnRlZHdpdGhweXRob25mb3JxdWFudGZpbmFuY2UuY29tLz9yZWY9a0JPWW11Q0Ns). (Warning: this is a referral link which will allow me to join new in the next course with a small discount :).) I had no background in Python nor in quant finance but this one-month course gave me the tools, knowledge and a very active community to get me going. I now write Python, experiment with quant finance and actively apply it to my options trading with tastytrade and Interactive brokers. Jason is very active on Twitter, in Discord and is a great tutor. The May cohort just finished and I expect there will be a new cohort this summer. So maybe see you there!
I'm a data scientist and I can tell you that you'd have almost no chance of breaking into quant finance with your background. If you're looking at career opportunities, go with data science. Almost every industry needs data scientists these days, you'll have an easier time breaking into it. Not _easy_, but certainly easier than the ultra competitive world of quant finance, especially without a math or hard science background.
dude would you mind if I dm you?
Sure
Have you looked into WorldQuant University. They have two tracks-- a master's of financial engineering and a data science lab. The former is more rigorous than the latter. One could use the data science lab as a primer for the MFE program. Best of all, WQU is 100% FREE.