What Programming Language For Trading Jobs ?

[conduit]

I met many extremely smart mathematicians and statisticians in my life and career at banks. They knew nothing whatsoever about financial markets. It took some of them 2 or 3 weeks before they started designing and pricing complex derivatives. But teach an impassionate and undriven person anything and you most likely fail.

I have very basic math and programming abilities, but have yet to meet a programmer, or mathematician who can design an instrument pricing model like the one I use to trade independently. I have no doubt that most of them will remain employees the rest of their lives, and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Fundlord]

You want to work in quant trading but don't know any language and don't know if "these things are possible with python."? I strongly recommend you consider a different career. You are simply not driven in this area. I mean it, you will simply get hurt badly by not being able to keep pace with everyone else around you. It sounds harsh but is the bare truth. Choose to take it or to ignore it. I hired many junior traders onto my desk and I think I know a thing or two spotting those who make it and those who break.

I am passionate about trading, investment and finance. Not quant trading.

Quant stuff is just an add on/ accessory for me. A useful skill to have and advertise that I have.

I am not trying to be some algorithmic trader I prefer discretionary strategies.

 

[Low Salubrity Thug]

80k gbp is about 115k usd. I just can't imagine living in London making that little (Never been, but I assume its very expensive to live). Whats a decent studio apartment cost 2.5k - 3k GBP per month?

You can rent a nice 2 bed apartment in a central location for a couple of grand a month.

 

[Low Salubrity Thug]

I am passionate about trading, investment and finance. Not quant trading.

Quant stuff is just an add on/ accessory for me. A useful skill to have and advertise that I have.

I am not trying to be some algorithmic trader I prefer discretionary strategies.

There is some good advice in this thread. Up to you if you want to listen. Being a novice Python coder will add no value to your skillset at all. Learn Python if you are genuinely interested in learning to code, but don't do it with the expectation you are adding any professional value.

I still think for someone with an economics and finance background you'd be far better off learning R. That is a tool commonly used by folks in your area and will add value.

 

[conduit]

Do you study at any of the tier one universities? Because without it your chance of landing a junior trading role at a bank or hedge fund is almost zero. You can always consider joining a retail oriented prop trading firm and attempt to make your mark there.

I am passionate about trading, investment and finance. Not quant trading.

Quant stuff is just an add on/ accessory for me. A useful skill to have and advertise that I have.

I am not trying to be some algorithmic trader I prefer discretionary strategies.

 

[conduit]

agree, if as OP said he is not interested in quant trading then he may be better off with R and excellent Excel/Bloomberg/Reuters API skills and how to write and implement add-ins for Excel. When I worked 14 years ago as bloody analyst at a German bank in NY I was pretty much the only guy on the desk who could automate simple tasks using Excel add-ins and senior traders liked it...just saying...

There is some good advice in this thread. Up to you if you want to listen. Being a novice Python coder will add no value to your skillset at all. Learn Python if you are genuinely interested in learning to code, but don't do it with the expectation you are adding any professional value.

I still think for someone with an economics and finance background you'd be far better off learning R. That is a tool commonly used by folks in your area and will add value.

 

[Low Salubrity Thug]

agree, if as OP said he is not interested in quant trading then he may be better off with R and excellent Excel/Bloomberg/Reuters API skills and how to write and implement add-ins for Excel. When I worked 14 years ago at a German bank in NY I was pretty much the only guy on the desk who could automate simple tasks using Excel add-ins and senior traders liked it...just saying...

Yet more good advice. I strongly advise the OP to listen to the words of people who have been there. It's not often you get honest advice from people who have worked/are working in the industry for free.

 

[Fundlord]

Do you study at any of the tier one universities? Because without it your chance of landing a junior trading role at a bank or hedge fund is almost zero. You can always consider joining a retail oriented prop trading firm and attempt to make your mark there.

Would learning R benefit me in a prop trading role and my own trading to a degree ?

 

[Fundlord]

Would learning R benefit me in a prop trading role and my own trading to a degree ?

I met with a private equity exec a few months back. I asked him how I can stand out these days on my resume and he said saying you are an expert at financial modelling or a programming language can help since everything is "quantitative and statistical these days".

 

[IAS_LLC]

Just to be contradictory....I think it's worth while learning Python or R if you are doing any sort of data analytics at scale, even if it won't help u get a trading gig. Excel just doesn't cut it in my opinion.