Hi guys. I'd like to read your opinions on the following. Thanks to anybody chipping in.Earlier this year I completed a PhD in theoretical physics lying at the interface of high energy physics, gravity and mathematical physics. I'm now looking to make the jump to quantitative finance; given that I have a maths background that is of little interest for a position in the sector (differential geometry and the like, no programming), I'm working through the standard literature on quant finance and I'm updating my programming skills.Over the past couple of months I've applied for quantitative analysis / structuring internship positions with little success. Recently I interviewed for a part-time assistant position for a fund manager at a top private bank that has an asset management arm. The job involves assisting with routine administration as well as helping with data analysis and development of the models used to manage the fund (only Excel and VBA).I'm very interested in the job, as it is part-time (thus giving me plenty of time for my quant finance self-study), it gives me an income (a pretty low one, though; I'd be still living in a shared flat and on a student budget), and it offers me an opportunity to get a first working experience in the financial industry. The downsides are the fact that the minimum contract is one year (which I think is more than I need to get myself in good enough shape for an entry-level quant job), and I'm not sure that the experience will help me find a quant job later on (given that I'm already 30 years old, I'd rather try not to waste my time to get into the area soon). Also, the fund manager's big boss is not too keen on mathematical/quantitative finance stuff, and in fact suggested that I'd rather take the CFA while working part-time.I suppose that in the current job market, an opportunity like this is not to be sneered at, but I wonder: will the experience in asset management be of any use to get a more quantitative position? Should I rather try and try until I get a more directly relevant position? (e.g. an internship)Cheers everybody.

There's a lot of quant stuff that (some) asset management firms do. I think if you take it up and are persistent, this firm might offer you a full-time portfolio management track position. I think it's a great opportunity to be able to work part-time in this kind of a position. You can always continue to interview with other firms and yet have something (however little) financial to talk about. I don't know the exact details of your contact but in most cases, they dont' mean anything - especially given that it's admin stuff, I don't think there is a chance that they will sue you for breaking the contract.

I'd take it if I were you for the extra experience but continue to look for other jobs actively! You never know if a job is right for you unless you get exposed to the little nuances of it - knowing something in theory is v. different from knowing in practice. There is a good demand for quants in the asset management side esp for portfolio management and optimization, alpha generations, etc. Anyway, 1 year goes by pretty quickly - you can use that time for deep self-study, make a bit of money, and experience. It could be worse, e.g. supporting your family or facing large amount of debt to pay off in a short period of time. 30 is not too old if you start very well at 31 in your next job.

Thanks for your replies -- you pretty much confirmed what I was thinking. Now let's see if I get the final offer...