hmm..i'm not loooking forward to financial engineerng too..xD

haha, no, just someone with an interest in physics and luckily have worked in the education and research sector with physicists and mathematicians, and count a number of them as good friends

[/quote]
so..what is ur opinion bout dis career?? more for introverts compared to extroverts??

This post has been edited by TimPTGirl: Nov 1 2011, 03:40 PM

hey just a word of warning: financial engineering might sound damn cool, but it's altogether another field (compared to mainstream physics). Instead of physics where "a formula that works will work everytime", financial eng is something where "you'd be lucky if the formula even work for one day". And financial engineers are more known as quant - the people that earn big bucks modelling financial instruments. It is not a good lifestyle afaik. Go check it out at quant forum.

Also one thing I wonder: are there quants here in Malaysia?

This post has been edited by empirekhoo: Oct 31 2011, 09:48 PM

er it was a typo, have it editted d..
i dun lk anything routine, lk i said i'm more into business den engineering or watever but i'm super interested in physics too, dat's y i'm considering in taking physics as a major in uni..=)

Physics is just another career IMO, for those who like physics (and talented enough) it should be very rewarding.

The downside is maybe the common/popular views on physicists and scientists that they're eccentric or nerdy or anti-social which I can safely say (again, IMO) is total bullcrap -physicists are regular people la, so introverts and extroverts are more than welcome to be one :|

@empirekhoo, maybe there are no quants in Malaysia -Singapore or HK?

yeah but when i say extroverts, i meant will extroverts b bored bcoz of the working environment n not so suitable for dis career?

yeah i noted that NUS actually offered quantative finance. so there should be market for quants.

Anyway, agreed on what mgjg said. are you a physicist?

Let's just say it like this, physics is large enough for both types to work in,

Extroverts: teaching and research -fit their (for lack of better term) craving for attention; they can interact with people in lectures and seminars; have all the meetings with the moneymen (and get a chance to play the 'eccentric prof.' part); show-off to the public via tv/newspaper/mass-media appearances; write the physics-for-laymen-type books that will further their 'reluctant celebrity'-ness

Introverts: research and lab works -mainly supervising, and designing experiments (and instruments), analyzing data, computational and theoretical works; writing textbooks and exam questions or whatever

@empirekhoo, no I'm not a physicist

hmm..yeah dis is very convincing..but if i choose to study until higher levels (maybe masters or phd), after dat i can juz go into research or teaching rite??
any chance of involving in business?

[quote=empirekhoo,Nov 3 2011, 08:12 PM]
yeah i noted that NUS actually offered quantative finance. so there should be market for quants.

Sorry to digress,
off hand from what ive gleaned over the years
The nus program usually lots of students from china
Ntu also has a msc in quant finance, with optional semester in us, carnegie i think?

Unfortunately c++ is not compulsory when implementing the models, matlab / vba is ok.
The best way to start out in c++ is to learn by yourself, just like math or physics..my opinion anyway..

There will always be a market for quants, but not the local banks..unfortunately foreign banks here in kl are basically just representative branches, the real technical stuff are done overseas.. So best start anywhere but here..

Courses in quant finance are usually msc level, cqf is something like cfa, a professional cert

Yes, that's the usual path.
Actually one physics lecturer candidly said to me once: "[Nowadays no need to be too concerned with formal postgraduate studies and follow the salary path] baik you bela kambing". Make of it what you will

haha okay.. btw, what did u study or wat r u studying? u said u aren't a physicist, but u seemed to be quite familiar with dis.. =)

[quote=tkhin,Nov 6 2011, 03:11 PM]
[quote=empirekhoo,Nov 3 2011, 08:12 PM]
yeah i noted that NUS actually offered quantative finance. so there should be market for quants.

Sorry to digress,
off hand from what ive gleaned over the years
The nus program usually lots of students from china
Ntu also has a msc in quant finance, with optional semester in us, carnegie i think?

Unfortunately c++ is not compulsory when implementing the models, matlab / vba is ok.
The best way to start out in c++ is to learn by yourself, just like math or physics..my opinion anyway..

There will always be a market for quants, but not the local banks..unfortunately foreign banks here in kl are basically just representative branches, the real technical stuff are done overseas.. So best start anywhere but here..

Courses in quant finance are usually msc level, cqf is something like cfa, a professional cert

[/quote]

Interesting. I have no idea since I'm not in NUS anyway. It seems you are quite knowledgable in MFE. are you taking MFE or CQF?

Heh, can't a guy keep some infos on himself private around you? I read physics (computational -the lecturer I mentioned earlier was my FYP supervisor), and this was a long time ago. And I don't call myself a physicist because that title should (IMO) be reserved for the postgrads.

The familiarity you saw was mostly second-hand (observation) and third-hand knowledge (reading & watching documentaries)

haha paiseh for peeping into ur privacy..xP
hmm..so u took physics for ur bachelor degree, actually i opt for phy is juz bcoz of my interest for it, ppl around me juz cant relate me with anything concerning research lolz, dat's y i was in quite a dilemma, but hearing dat a degree in phy can lead to other job oppotunities bsides research certainly give me the confidence to do 4 my choice.=)

er..btw, if u dun mind me asking, wat field r u working in now? (u can choose not 2 ans if u mind)

IT, mostly computers and computer systems, and (as I hinted earlier) computational research with academicians -the programming part, not the theoretical stuff.

ic..is the work boring?

Both yes and no -just like most (if not all) jobs IMHO; anyways you'll always forget/ignore the boring parts (paperwork, reports, meetings, sucking-up-to-superiors, office politics etc.) and focus on the exciting ones (this people usually have to find out for themselves).

Which makes work kinda like a Schrodinger's Cat -it is both boring and fulfilling, but you'll never know until you do it

Nope not knowledgable, never was in nus /ntu but i know ppl who have studied in it. I am taking neither as i learn on my own and or via work.. I hate memorizing and most probably would flunk the exams anyway..

Note that quant finance degrees are not the norm, usually is msc lvl. Theoretical Physics/math gives one a good basis for this field ie monte carlo simulation, stochastic calculus, pde ie operator splitting methods ,etc..Its not enough to just know the theory, implementation is also crucial to see the results ie c++/vba/matlab etc.. Ull never win the nobel prize but if u get into a top tier bank, u get paid well, check out e-financialcareers.com.

Interesting. So what are you doing currently? I am currently considering on the theoretical phy journey and obviously quant was one of the 'backup plan'. Any advise on it? especially what field of theoretical phy? I am thinking of quantum optics & QIS but i was never sure of course.

we can take this offline if you mind. =)

Im Not going to sugar coat it, imho if you're below 30 ie mid 20s and
1. Want to pursue ur physics phd and get unto a career in Physics, dont do it in Malaysia. Either ull end up as a tuition teacher or a college or uni lecturer with minimal chances to get ur proffesorship in a public uni. If u dunno why, then i have nothing to say..Private uni in Malaysia i dunno.
2. Quant finance , dont do it in malaysia cause it
doesnt exist. The mmu course (not sure if its still
around) definitely is not the real deal.
Phd make sure it has modules in stochastic calc, pde, computational stuff, c++,monte carlo simulation
Books u can start of with the bible, options futures and derivatives by john hull, i think 7-8th ed, or
Joshi or dominic o kane's books or articles.
As for me, Im a nobody who's born in either the wrong century or wrong country.., but right now its whatever models/math that interests me and
implementing them in c++