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Is that different from the stereotypical Wall Street job?
It’s very different. For example:
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Alexey Poyarkov, a former gold-medal winner of the International Mathematical Olympiad for high-school students, spent most of his early career honing algorithms at technology companies such as Microsoft Corp. , where he helped make the Bing search engine smarter at ferreting out pornography.
Last year, a bidding war for Mr. Poyarkov broke out among hedge-fund heavyweights Renaissance Technologies LLC, Citadel LLC and TGS Management Co. When it was over, he went to work at TGS in Irvine, Calif., and could earn as much as $700,000 in his first year, say people familiar with the contract.
The Russian-born software engineer, who declined to comment, as did the hedge funds, had almost no financial experience. What TGS wanted was his wizardry at designing algorithms, sets of rules used to power calculations and problem-solving, which in the investment world can quickly parse data and decide what to buy and sell, often with little human involvement.
What is the basis for your claim that the gifted type is not likely to be entrepreneurial?
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we need the OP to more clearly define "gifted". But, being an entrepreneur requires a lot more than intelligence, so it doesn't answer the question that I asked anyway.
Stereotypical Wall Street jobs require extreme hours, and require you to be conventionally attractive, and requires formal attire. Is this job like that? If so, I'd not say it's a good fit for "gifted" students.
Stereotypical Wall Street jobs require extreme hours, and require you to be conventionally attractive, and requires formal attire. Is this job like that? If so, I'd not say it's a good fit for "gifted" students.
It's not like that. Quants can (and do) go in wearing t-shirts and jeans. They aren't hired to create pitch books, shmooze fund managers or bring in business. They really are hired for their brains.
It's not like that. Quants can (and do) go in wearing t-shirts and jeans. They aren't hired to create pitch books, shmooze fund managers or bring in business. They really are hired for their brains.
What are the qualifications for such a job? How many people in the US actually have such a job? Is it a job that basically exists only on Wall Street?
What are the qualifications for such a job? How many people in the US actually have such a job? Is it a job that basically exists only on Wall Street?
If by "Wall Street" you mean "investment finance" (vs. the geographic location) then yes. It's primarily a Wall Street job.
One very rough estimate on Quora is that there are probably on the order of 20k quant jobs worldwide. Take that estimate with a grain of salt.
Here's Wikipedia's high-level take on educational requirements.
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Quantitative analysts often come from applied mathematics, physics or engineering backgrounds rather than economics-related fields, and quantitative analysis is a major source of employment for people with mathematics and physics PhD degrees, or with financial mathematics DEA degrees in the French education system. Typically, a quantitative analyst will also need extensive skills in computer programming, most commonly C, C++, Java, R, MATLAB, Mathematica, Python.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we need the OP to more clearly define "gifted". But, being an entrepreneur requires a lot more than intelligence, so it doesn't answer the question that I asked anyway.
Stereotypical Wall Street jobs require extreme hours, and require you to be conventionally attractive, and requires formal attire. Is this job like that? If so, I'd not say it's a good fit for "gifted" students.
However the OP defined "gifted", it's pretty clear that the definition you are using is absurd. Intelligent people can also be outgoing, charming, attractive. In fact, many of them are. However, you seem to be assuming they are clueless, ugly, anti-social losers who may be intelligent but don't know how to interact with other people.
However the OP defined "gifted", it's pretty clear that the definition you are using is absurd. Intelligent people can also be outgoing, charming, attractive. In fact, many of them are. However, you seem to be assuming they are clueless, ugly, anti-social losers who may be intelligent but don't know how to interact with other people.
I agree. That statement reminds me of my brother who thinks that anyone who is intelligent lacks common sense.
The definition of "gifted" that was being used in this thread would refer to somebody that employers would not see as their preferred drinking buddies.
Do people really get rich in IT? None of the IT people that I know are rich.
What branches of engineering are you referring to. There is no career called "engineering". There are many careers that have little in common with each other that have "engineering" in their name.
I am a civil engineer. The pay is lousy, and it's all about whose the best drinking buddy, who looks the best in a suit, who is willing to work the longest hours for the least money, etc.
Probably a good idea for any field. But, unfortunately, by the time you realize that you don't like working in your chosen major, it's too late to change majors.
That isn't what the OP says to me. Who we choose as drinking buddies is irrelevant.
The engineers, managers and the like that I know that work in IT do pretty well. It was a good living for my spouse.
The median salary in civil engineering is $84,770; the mean is $91,970. That's not "lousy". My SIL is a civil engineer, and the only drinking buddy he has is his brother, a grad student. He doesn't wear a suit to work, and he's very into his job, but not a work-a-holic. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172051.htm
In a sense, it's never too late to change majors, until you've been awarded the degree. I get what you're saying, you don't want (or can't afford) to be in school forever. However, there's always grad school.
So it doesn't really sound like an option for a mid-career career change if you don't have a PhD.
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Originally Posted by emm74
However the OP defined "gifted", it's pretty clear that the definition you are using is absurd. Intelligent people can also be outgoing, charming, attractive. In fact, many of them are. However, you seem to be assuming they are clueless, ugly, anti-social losers who may be intelligent but don't know how to interact with other people.
I think the OP was using "gifted" to refer to people who are, rightly or wrongly, stereotyped as "clueless, ugly, anti-social losers who may be intelligent but don't know how to interact with other people". Remember, what is considered good vs bad social skills is entirely arbitrary.
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Originally Posted by villageidiot1
I agree. That statement reminds me of my brother who thinks that anyone who is intelligent lacks common sense.
I'm not the one with that opinion, so don't shoot the messenger. I'm just referring to society's opinion, and the fact that it's almost part of the definition of "gifted" the way the OP was using it.
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Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
That isn't what the OP says to me. Who we choose as drinking buddies is irrelevant.
The engineers, managers and the like that I know that work in IT do pretty well. It was a good living for my spouse.
I do not consider IT to be "engineering". I consider it to be its own field. And, as I keep saying, there is no one field called "engineering", but many fields that have the word "engineering" in the title. And, if you are talking about managers, then it's not really the "gifted" type that the OP is talking about.
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The median salary in civil engineering is $84,770; the mean is $91,970. That's not "lousy".
That is not a living wage where I live.
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My SIL is a civil engineer, and the only drinking buddy he has is his brother, a grad student. He doesn't wear a suit to work, and he's very into his job, but not a work-a-holic. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172051.htm
I'm guessing he has a government job. Around here, that's like winning the lottery.
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In a sense, it's never too late to change majors, until you've been awarded the degree. I get what you're saying, you don't want (or can't afford) to be in school forever. However, there's always grad school.
Glad that you understand what I am saying.
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