Want to be a quant

[Riz]

Hi all,

I am nearing ASA .. currently enrolled in FAP. I have realised I want to be a quant or a quant developer ( I have a strong IT/programming background).
Should I go for the financial economics and portfolio management specialisation of the SOA exams. What will be the right approach for me at this time.

[augustus18nsa]

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[theplaymaker]

Riz:

You can work in dynamic hedging of insurance products or stochastic modeling. I just want to warn you your SOA exams will not mean a whole lot to an employer of pure quants. You will need to demonstrate proficiency in programming, modeling, and derivatives knowledge. Read the entire John Hull textbook before an interview, as they will often ask you to draw payoff diagrams of straddles, strangles, etc. Know Ito's Lemma, BSM, and all the other obvious topics.

My recommendation would be to focus on work experience if you really want to be a quant. Passing more SOA exams will probably not help you a great deal if you are serious about transitioning.