Getting a quant job at a bank, hedge fund or trading firm is an arduous process, but it’ll never start if your CV never makes it through the screening process. In such a complex and opaque industry, how do you write a resume that stands out? We’ve spoken to recruiters and industry insiders to find out.
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One New York headhunter, speaking anonymously, told us that the “format of the resume is completely irrelevant, it just needs to be clean and show quality throughout their education and work history.” James Holland, director of London-based recruitment firm Quant Capital agreed. When you’re writing a quant CV, Holland said: “most companies want to see clearly where you have worked and what you’ve been doing,” he said. “This shouldn’t take more than a page.”
When it comes to education, Holland said firms are paying attention to “where you’ve been educated, what grade you got and when you went there.” How detailed you need to be varies on the role and firm you’re applying for. Jane Street employees, for example, have previously suggested that the modules you choose are more important than the degree itself; you’d be wise to include them when applying to a junior role at a trading firm, but perhaps less so for a senior quantitative portfolio manager job at a hedge fund.
When it comes to technology, Holland said you should avoid listing “a million things you’ve only played with. Be honest about your real strengths.” Don’t list Python unless you can “write hardcore production Python code.” An easy way to do this is by listing technologies on a role-by-role basis; Kirsty Tutton, a director at Selby Jennings, previously told us “banking clients like to see the tech stack used for each role as opposed to a big list”
Holland said “people are also looking at GitHubs more and more.” It’s becoming a necessity to include one outside of pure alpha generation roles. Working on open-source projects is highly valued, but you should also include personal projects if you have any. “It gives a few more more strings to your bow and shows you’re interested in what you do,” he said.
As with all CVs, it’s important to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This can be hard when you’ve worked or interned at a highly secretive firm. Speaking via an AMA in The Bubble, our new anonymous community, quant careers coach Ash Cross gave some workarounds. You can estimate the number of hours of work saved by technology you’ve built, talk about how widely your tools have been adopted across your business or provide percentage improvements in the accuracy and stability of your models. You should ask your former manager if you’re unsure, but Cross says you should talk “about the general process and the impact you made, not the frameworks used.”
Don’t worry if your resume looks too vague. Holland said firms “understand the game; we’re not expecting a CV that details everything and gives away the secrets.” If you’re being asked to disclose them in your resume or during an interview, it’s a bit of a red flag.
‘Interests’ sections on quant CVs are a contentious topic, but can go a long way in humanizing you. Holland said that it’s important that your interests are “recent, relevant and something you can talk about.” For example, competitive chess is very popular among quants and “it’s a good thing to put on there if you can genuinely talk about it… you never know who you’ll meet in an interview.” Interests without direct bearing on quant finance should only be mentioned if they require a high level of expertise (e.g. restoring classic cars) or if you perform at a particularly high level (e.g. professional/amateur powerlifting, as opposed to a ‘Passion for fitness’).
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