Demand for quants?

[mathematica]

What will the demand for quants be like 10yrs down the lines? 20yrs?
What about life after being a quant? what sort of jobs are available for ex-quants?

[Andy Nguyen]

Nobody will even know how things are a year from now, let alone 10 years, 20 years.
If anyone think of this career as hot cakes and jumping out when it's not, then it's their concern. It's just a job like everything else that has its up, down, good, bad. So just treat it like any other profession out there.
There are plenty of things you can do if you are no longer employed as a quant. Teach high school math. Be a college professor. Work for tech company.
Whatever skills that got you a job as a quant, should get you another job.

[newtoquant]

Hi Andy,

I am new to this forum and I am quant aspirant. Do you think there is not going to be demand for qunat going ahead. I am confused abt my career of doing MFE with things happening in Wall street.

I feel when the complexity is not exists in the market, then there is a question raises of doing Financial Engineering as all Investment Banks are converted to traditional banks. But,


1) Equity Derivatives markets will continue to exists.
2) Forex markets will be there and volumes are increases day by day
3) Money markets will continue to exits as along confidence is present between banks and Fed is working now by providing insurance and by increasing liquidity.

I think quant's are needed in all these above markets and I don't see a failure of CDS alone will make no place for Quant's

-Naga

[evil]

my theory is doesnt matter what happens in the market whether thier going booming or in recession, theres ALWAYS gonna be demand 4 quants.... people always wanna know how to make money regardless if the economy is going up or down.........can't say the same about other professions

Keep viewing the quant profession as a science, and hopefully it is, then we'll always have a job. (like mathematicans, physicists, engineers who are gonna be there 4ever and ever.....surely they cant ever be replaced.).........

I think eventually quants will be so central to a business (if not already)...its survival depends on them....also theirs a skill shortage in the area given that most of generation y are moving away from the maths and sciences.

[Andy Nguyen]

Saying demand for quants will not be affected is like preaching to the choir here. The fact is that we don't know. Heck, Wall Street veterans are trying to wrap their heads around what is going on right now.
One thing for sure, there will be need for quantitative minded people. It may take in different forms; it may not be called quants but it will be there. You just have to position yourself for that trend, not just barely jump in the wagon when the going is good.

[doug reich]

I think evil and newtoquant are missing the forest for the trees. Of course there are little niches in which quants will survive under any circumstance. But the current market of quants can more than fill those niches; will your skills be lucrative and in-demand?

By analogy, are we entering the profession of typewriter repair at the dawn of the personal computer? People still use typewriters, and there still are some repairmen, but I'll be damned if I can find one under the age of 50 who hasn't been doing it since 1970. I'd rather not be in that niche.

[aoglobalent]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assuming that risk has died and gone to heaven or hell for that matter, then everyone might be right, there might not be a demand for Quants... But that is not the case and to be quit honest, I personally do not believe it will ever be the case. To further the reality that Quants will always remain the "King Arthur's" of the day, new product/Core Quants are a must if the Banks are going to march forward in their crusade for ultimate victory and dominance over the world as we know it.

When the banks such as JP or GS begin to unwind their Trillions/Billions in positions, then maybe people will have something to worry about for maybe, just maybe, a half a second until they get their second wind. But that can't realistically happen or could it?

The markets will always need a new and better product to offer to themselves first and then to their clients. It is the nature of the beast. The animals survival is based on it's ability to catch new prey...

Risk is still alive dear Quants and that is the name of the game!

[doug reich]

You are still making assumptions about how the industry will operate. Specifically, that there is going to be a big machine putting out new products all the time. That is not a given, as today it seems the independent investment bank has gone into temporary or even permanent hiding.

Nobody is doing deals today. The departments designed to create those deals are shrinking and disappearing. That's not to say they won't come back some day, but it's not so clear they'll be here in the short term.

[fortunaire]

Originally Posted by aoglobalent Ladies and Gentlemen, Assuming that risk has died and gone to heaven or hell for that matter, then everyone might be right, there might not be a demand for Quants... But that is not the case and to be quit honest, I personally do not believe it will ever be the case. To further the reality that Quants will always remain the "King Arthur's" of the day, new product/Core Quants are a must if the Banks are going to march forward in their crusade for ultimate victory and dominance over the world as we know it. When the banks such as JP or GS begin to unwind their Trillions/Billions in positions, then maybe people will have something to worry about for maybe, just maybe, a half a second until they get their second wind. But that can't realistically happen or could it? The markets will always need a new and better product to offer to themselves first and then to their clients. It is the nature of the beast. The animals survival is based on it's ability to catch new prey... Risk is still alive dear Quants and that is the name of the game!

true indeed but you just cant think like a quant in these days if you want to own wallstreet you have to be more of a trader are think like a trader or entrepreneur if you will we design these things if if its in the flesh or in spirit were the ones thinking of these things night and day and the truth is when these banks or big funds run out of money which is inevtable and or if not has already come to pass who will build the next wall street which is coming to pass as we speak i'l tell you who you and i are we will build the debt and credidit stucture new currency and gold reserve designs to back innovation education supply and demand down to the price of a single paper clip so who are in demand you rather it's visible to the naked eye are not you said it my friend the quant teams of today and tommorrow.

[fortunaire]

Originally Posted by Andy Saying demand for quants will not be affected is like preaching to the choir here. The fact is that we don't know. Heck, Wall Street veterans are trying to wrap their heads around what is going on right now. One thing for sure, there will be need for quantitative minded people. It may take in different forms; it may not be called quants but it will be there. You just have to position yourself for that trend, not just barely jump in the wagon when the going is good.

i agree andy but you know we do know if we apply i historical debt history or at least economic history teaches us of the beggining and spark every new generation there quant mind like people to do the ledgering and structures of the bartering systems of the trade heck and please excuse my language in the world is trade.. ar applied analytics do to the nurture of exchange. in history biblical history down to jack and the bean stalk i'm sure you know the story it's always what will you give me for this even the best traders have quantitaitve skills as their foundation of bargaining to determine value surely were living in a generational adept society breeded for centuries and beyond... so i beleive and know this the field of fields and is so self rewarding.. with and or without a billion dollar salary probably not the latter but surely the knowledge of quantitative is the principals behind all powers i guarantee