Guidance required on quantjobs

[Ipshita]

Hi everybody,

Been a long time since I posted anything here. Actually, I've been having a hard time with the jobsearch. I would like to know your opinions on what are the best places to apply for quantjobs and how to land THE INTERVIEW. I have been trying for technology support or programmer type jobs as well but with no success. Of course, there is an added factor that I am an international student and still waiting for my visa to be applied for next year. But I really need some advice now on how to approach the search for a quant jobs as I feel I've struck a dead end. Any suggestions?

 

[John]

Hi everybody,

Been a long time since I posted anything here. Actually, I've been having a hard time with the jobsearch. I would like to know your opinions on what are the best places to apply for quantjobs and how to land THE INTERVIEW. I have been trying for technology support or programmer type jobs as well but with no success. Of course, there is an added factor that I am an international student and still waiting for my visa to be applied for next year. But I really need some advice now on how to approach the search for a quant jobs as I feel I've struck a dead end. Any suggestions?

are you a mid-career, experienced candidate? if so, recruiting firm is the best place to start, especially for more IT-flavoured jobs. As matter fact most recruiters would only work with experienced candidates.

If you are a freshly-graduated students (at undergrad level), your school career services office is the obvious choice (but not necessarily the best), and you probably know that already. Besides that, networking with your peers, professors who knows you well, and alumni, has been by far the most effective way to land interviews. Asking casual accquaintances for job leads also work (I landed an onsite interview with a rating agency that way), especially in this city (NY), where it seems like half of the population works in the area of finance.

Go to (several of) finance events in the city (PRMIA, IAFE, CFA, etc), and mingle with financial practitioners. Just be ready to have a good story to tell and more importantly, know exactly how you can come in the picture. It would be far more effective that just applying for jobs online. You may not land interviews by just going to those events, but by mingling with and talking to those directors, and MD's from Citi, Merrill, S&P, you would start visualizing yourself working in those top firms and developing the right mindset and neccesary confidence once you do get invited for an interview.

 

[Ipshita]

Thanks a lot John

Thanks for the suggestions, John. No, I am not mid-career. I am freshly graduated with experience in some financial modeling but in consulting, not in hedge funds or similar fields. Actually, networking is what I am doing right now, trying to get in touch with various people. You must already be working. If you don't mind my asking , where are you working currently?