Hi allI've just rediscovered Wilmott after a few years "on the job". I think I'll be spending a bit of time on these boards, seems like a lot of fellow Quants are here.A quick intro - I'm a European based quant working in energy derivatives. I've been in the field a couple of years now. PhD in Physics. Like the job, love the pay I'm working on the desk, and I really enjoy the pace of the work.The problem - Energy (power, gas) is an emerging market in most of Europe. The skills I'm picking up are great for energy markets, but I'm out of the mainstream financial loop.Question - How feasible is a jump to an equity derivatives or fixed income quant role? How is a quant role in the equity derivatives different to energy derivatives? How difficult is it to move to trading?Finally, am I just suffering from a case of "the grass is always greener"? I'm (relatively) young, in an emerging market and making plenty of money. Should I just stay put and try to become a star in Energy?Any advice would be most appreciated.

Hi EnergyQuant!May I email you privately for some advice? Please send your address to my email. Thanks.Aika

QuoteOriginally posted by: EnergyQuant The problem - Energy (power, gas) is an emerging market in most of Europe. The skills I'm picking up are great for energy markets, but I'm out of the mainstream financial loop. I am a trader that went the other way, was trading eurodolar caps and floors and t-bond options and swaptions when they were "exotic" produts in 1989, and went to oil. Then I switched to electricity in 1996. I am convinced i would have made more money had i stuck with i-rates [at least up until 4 years ago]; then the switch to energy paid off and my income exploded. NOW i'm probably ahead of where i'd have been, but at a much worse distribution [i'd have prefered my high income years been in the early rather than late 90's ]. Interest rates and equities WILL ALWAYS be bigger markets than energy. In some sense, the problems are simpler in i-rate/equity markets than in energy markets [which is why higher math works better in i-rates than in energy, correlation structure of the forwards is more stable]. Bigger markets means more marketing, means more new products, means more work for quants . . .. . . .but private message your e-mail addr to me for a franker discussion

hi energy quant,a neophyte who wud like to do what you are currently doing. would appreciate if you could allow me to mail you personally.

I've been looking at a few opportunities, and am amazed at how important C++ knowledge is. I know that a lot of existing code-bases are written in C++, but I am not a quant developer! I just need access to the database and some standard statistical packages to analyse the data and look for trading opportunities.Headhunters do not seem to understand this point, and I have not yet felt strongly enough about any position to go for an interview if C++ is a required skill. My belief is that I can pick up the C++ skills as required (I've learnt 3 other languages this way), and that any real quant job does not revolve around programming skill. Comments from other front office quants would be most appreciated.To the (very few) people who have expressed a desire to contact me - please either "private message" me (I think this is turned on) or conduct the conversation "in public".

QuoteOriginally posted by: EnergyQuantTo the (very few) people who have expressed a desire to contact me - please either "private message" me (I think this is turned on) or conduct the conversation "in public".Nope I think its not rgds,Dimitrios

EnergyQuantJulius Caesar once said:"As far as I am concerned, I would rather be the first man here than the second in Rome"

HERE was small pathetic village

I like the Ceaser quote :-)Things are looking up. Lot's of interesting stuff to work on at the moment, some new ideas about how to make some $$$ - all is looking good for the new bonus year starting soon.