Hi everyone, I’m a third-year Computer Science student at the University of Calgary with a solid foundation in Python, Java, and C++. I completed a 16-month data analyst internship and have spent the last couple of years trading independently, mostly short volatility strategies after a deep dive into the Volatility Risk Premium (VRP). Derivatives and quantitative trading have genuinely caught my interest. Now, I’m looking to make a real pivot toward systematic/algorithmic trading and I could use your guidance. My biggest hurdle right now is knowing where to begin. Should I go back and review core math/stats concepts like stochastic processes and time series analysis? Or would it make more sense to start by building a specific type of trading bot (e.g., market making, arbitrage, vol strategies) and learn as I go? I'm also considering picking up a minor in Statistics or Applied Math to help bridge the theory-practice gap.
One well know Trading individual in the Quant world that is accessible and is an available resource is Ernest Chan... Link to his web site He has a background in computer science, quantitative analysis, algos, systematic trading... Boks on these subjects and courses or mentoring traders too at least he has in the past. Any and all of which you could consider checking out. BUT... Do your own Due Diligence and assume everything you interact with involves VERY careful risk management on your part... including getting help from any source. Trading would be better called Risk Management of Allocated Assets then the silly word trading. '
Start by trading during your night time. You have to try various financial instruments/trading strategies .... and see which suits you. Try day trading, swing trading and see which suits you. Try outright, spread this and that and see which suits you. You don't need complex maths, complex Euler equation, Navier Stokes Equation ... for trading. You just need to know + and - to count money, to place target profit and STOP.
This is amazing thank you so much! The reminder about risk management really hits home. I actually got burned last week because I sized my position on ARM way too aggressively. Definitely learning the hard way, but trying to improve with each trade.
Take financial engineering courses. Learn how to price options and derivatives. Learn accounting. And apply to financial firms for investment positions. Ideally buyside funds or sellside desks. From there learn how markets really work. And make a lot of money. After 10 years with a few million in the bank, become a part time trader or continue to clip the 1MM coupon. I was a CS major and pivoted my senior year into finance by getting an internship and then getting a Masters in Financial Engineering, even though i had full time offer to trade for a bank
dismiss the idea of any more education there are very sore losers on this forum that all they have in life is their education and they are bitter little twits they can't trade for crap. you need real experience if you are going to ever make it. you have to go to work for a real trader and then you will know. in your interview demand a independent audited track record otherwise everyone and everything else is a scam. if they are not listed in any of the reporting services for money managers do not waste your time. also don't waste your time here on this forum listening to advice from these monkeys who like to sling shit.. the poster directly above is one such ape.
Thanks for getting back to me this is pretty much the path I’m aiming for. Ultimately, I want to become a quant, and I fully intend to pursue a Master’s in Financial Engineering down the line. For now, though, I’m focused on launching and building a career in derivatives pricing. I’ve been working through Sheldon Natenberg’s Option Volatility and Pricing and trying to apply the concepts to my personal trading. What I really want is to adopt a more algorithmic approach to these strategies, but bridging that gap has been challenging. Honestly, the biggest hurdle so far has been my limited background in math and statistics. Most of my coursework has been computer science-heavy, so I’ve started taking more math and stats classes to strengthen that foundation. To be completely honest my biggest fear is not making it. This is my true passion, but sometimes it feels like the barrier to entry for institutional trading is overwhelmingly high.