<t>Flank, if you put down all those programming languages on your resume, you better prepare to be drilled on them, by professionals. Many times, applicants think if they take a couple of courses in school and then they can write it down and be ready for it in interviews, wrong. First, it sends a si...

<t>Unfortunately, most firms do have a bias towards Ivys. I have a degree from one of them and many of the people we interview are also from such programs. For experienced hires, we don't really care. For entry level positions (we literally receive hundreds of resumes for one opening), what are the ...

One of the best, we have had (not me personally) contact with them, very sharp people, most of them came from the sell side.

<t>Most econ Ph.Ds can not solve a PDE or SDE, most of them know little in C, C++ or even VBA. Granted, not all quant jobs require these skills, but the majority of them do. Filtering out jobs that do require these skills leaves a very small window open. Econometricians are stronger in both math and...

Most Econ Ph.Ds on Wall Street are not quants, they are economists. Econometricians may be the only exception. The skillsets are quite different, especially when it comes to programming skills and high powered math.

<t>It has been a year since this thread was started. Here is a personal update. I have joined one of the most reputable MBS shops on the street, almost doubling my pay along the way. Hours are between 55 and 60 per week. Yes, it is challenging and I miss my kids but it also makes me appreciate the t...

Comparing hours worked is somewhat misleading because in many fields, even if you work 60hours/week, you will not get paid 50% more comparing with 40hours/week, unless you get paid by hours.

Is there a typical percentage of pay increase when switching firms (similar jobs though the new one has somewhat more responsibilities and the firm is also better)? Area is MBS/ABS, firms (current and new) are among Bear, Citi, CSFB, Goldman, Lehman, and UBS.

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/200 ... udi_a.html

<t>Countrywide Securities Corporation, part of Countrywide Capital Markets, is the place to go if you are doing MBS/ABS and interested in LA. It is run pretty much like a Wall Street shop, its sales and trading volumes are right there with the big boys. The downside is that it is on the west coast a...

A typical question: will a GNMA reporforming pool ever trade lower than a FNMA pool with the same coupon? Why or why not?

What level is the position? Entry level, experienced? Buy side, sell side?

I have heard that sell-side firms do not like to hire people from their clients. I think it is true only to a certain extent. What do you guys think?

<t>First of all, thank you all for the feedback.After numerous sleepless nights and conversations with my wife, I have decided to pursue my personal and family’s future in New York. My wife is actually much less ambivalent than me. Her words summarize our feelings, “if you are not happy at work, soo...

<t>I work in mid-west as an MBS/ABS quant. I have two young children and my compensation is in the low to mid 200k (US$) range. Here is the dilemma I am facing. The prospect of career advancement at my current firm is rather limited. It’s hard to learn anything new on the job (except reading journal...