Pursuing a dream in FE

[eebadr]

Dear Mr. Joshi ,

In my search of a good university in the US that provides a decent MS in Financial Engineering, I Found your name and its a bit shiny one "kudos to you" i am still reading in your website. Its pretty impressive and the answers that I am seeking through the web are for sur in your hands.

My Status:

I am an Electrical Engineer that Graduated in 2004 and since than I have been working as a Telecommunication System Engineer in Ericsson AB, i hold in my hands 5 years in technical and (PMP) Project experience.
Since last year i stumbled upon Forex Markets and I got really interested in the science and studies of such markets and all related knowledge like Fundamental analysis and Chart analysis and all the details that gives an expert opinion and a high percentage of accuracy in predicting the future of a stock, Currency or any other investment/trade.

My Questions:

1- What should i study as a master degree: MSF, MSFE, Quantitative Finance or Mathematical Finance or are they all almost similar?
2- What certificates should i be interested in the future?
3- Can you share with me a good CV example for a good quant?
4- With me not having any banking experience, will this affect my future career as a quant?

[mj]

most financial engineering/mathematics is about derivatives pricing rather than technical analysis.

Programs vary in names without having much difference in content. The main thing is to go for a program that has an applied bent.

The hardest thing is always getting a first job in banking...

[icomeinpeace]

Hi Mark,

Could you provide more details on the difference between "pricing derivatives" and "technical analysis". On your guide about becoming a quant, you mention several types of quant positions. Most of those positions involve pricing of different financial instruments. Is technical analysis another term for research within the quant field?

Also, is it common for MFEs to start in pricing positions while PhDs can start directly in research?

Thanks in advance,

[mj]

technical analysis = trying to predict stock price movements by looking at historical data or accounting ratios

derivatives pricing = assume stocks are correctly priced and try to price options on them

technical analysis on very short time scales eg seconds is a big growing field. On long time scales, it is not taken seriously by mathemticians.


Most MFE progams focus on derivatives pricing.