"Trading has always been at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge technology, especially in the short term trading domain. The trading floor of yesterday has been constantly replaced with sophisticated trading models managed by few people with key skills. The landscape of trading technology has changed significantly within the last couple of years and with the advent of machine learning, reliability on the machine to make critical decisions has taken a significant leap. And it is quite evident from the key skill required by the big hedge funds. We need to upgrade our skill set to take on the new era of machine trading." said Sameer Kumar, Vice President-Technology at iRage.
Considering the above statement it is easy to deduce that the field of algorithmic trading has a high demand for people with advanced technological skill sets. To cater to the changing requirements of the quantitative organizations, candidates need to be knowledgeable and aware of the contemporary tools and practices. Addressing the need, QuantInsti® provides a comprehensive Executive Programme in Algorithmic Trading (EPAT™). The programme which is spread over a span of six months offers in-depth and on-ground training to aspiring Quantitative Traders. In this case study, we are elaborating on the story of an EPATian, Jayalaxmi Ganihar. Jayalaxmi was a Financial Analyst prior to enrolling for EPAT™. After successful completion of the programme, Jayalaxmi joined WorldQuant LLC which is headquartered in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Given in detail is an account of her take on QuantInsti®’s curriculum, placement procedure, and opportunities.
Our conversation with Jayalaxmi
What background do you come from?
I am an MBA graduate in Finance from Goa Institute of Management and prior to that, I have done Electronics and Telecommunication engineering from Goa Engineering College.
How did you get to know about QuantInsti® & why QuantInsti®? How has been your experience so far?
I was looking for a good course in Quantitative Finance when I came across Quantinsti®. I found the faculty to be excellent, the curriculum was extensive in depth and width and is constantly updated, besides we regularly had guest lectures, good talks from world-class traders and interactive sessions where we could directly ask questions. We also received good feedback and help on our assignments and project work.
Once you are a part of Quantinsti® you always remain integral to it. The entire faculty and staff are so easy to talk to and interact that even as an alumni if we have any questions or need any help in Quant Finance, one can always ask Quantinsti®. Also as alumni, I am regularly invited to attend their webinars and talks.
What do you have to say about the placement opportunities provided by QuantInsti®?
We regularly get emails with regard to various jobs and roles present in Trading companies in India, Singapore, and UAE. We are also regularly informed about internship opportunities available in leading Quant companies.
Would you recommend QuantInsti® to others who wish to pursue a career in Algo trading?
I highly recommend QuantInsti® to anyone who wants to enter the world of Algo trading. Besides learning a wealth of information, the connections and networking opportunities are also very good. One can learn a lot from Quantinsti® batchmates as well. The executive program is also very economical and helps you get started in this field quickly compared to an MFE or CQF.
Jayalaxmi being from a technical and financial background had the basic requisites for grasping the curriculum perfectly. Her success story with QuantInsti® inspires many others who belong to a similar educational background. While this is just one situation, EPAT™ has catered to participants from diverse backgrounds with good placement opportunities.
Participants who enroll for EPAT™ are from across diverse lines of work - traders, programmers, data analysts, and full-time students. The majority happens to be traders; the second most populous category is that of programmers and data analysts followed by academicians. In the last decade, technological advancements in the financial sector have seen a complete transformation in the way it operates. Here’s what Rajib Ranjan Borah-Globally renowned speaker on Options, Derivatives and News-Based Trading Research has to say on the subject, "When I returned to India and I was talking to market participants, I realised that while most firms were very keen to embrace algorithmic trading in a big way, but most of them were very clueless about the way to go about doing it. The biggest challenge started from the fact that the existing workforces were either finance professionals or technology professionals. To excel in algorithmic trading they required professionals who could understand technology and finance equally well - and the way to leverage one in the other.”
The question is how do we cater to the requirement and bring about the change where people have the know-how to be functional in the new scenario. EPAT™ gives you an option to optimize the knowledge available and enjoy the best benefits it can bring you. How did it impact Jayalaxmi’s career? She tells us more.
What do you think about EPAT™ and how can it add value to your career?
I currently work as a part-time Research Consultant at WorldQuant India. The things I learned through the EPAT™ program helped me immensely in understanding the nuances of trading. It helped me secure a good position in the Alphathon competition and get a Research position at WorldQuant. I was also able to get into WorldQuant University MSFE program with recommendations from QuantInsti®.
Next Step
Wish to learn more about the various aspects of Algorithmic trading, check out the Executive Programme in Algorithmic Trading (EPAT™). The course covers training modules like Statistics & Econometrics, Financial Computing & Technology, and Algorithmic & Quantitative Trading. EPAT™ equips you with the required skill sets to be a successful trader. Click here to know more about the most comprehensive Algo Trading programme!
