How to Become a Quant

As the skill set of "Quant" increases in demand the question often arises about how one becomes a quant. So why do so many people want to be a quant these days? There are a lot of factors from high compensation, intellectually stimulating work, and the amount of jobs available. The reality of it is that there are very few good quants which is why the compensation is so high and with the new wave of math, stats, and tech combining into promising business solutions, who wouldn't want a quant?

There is no actual definition of a quant but I would say it is a combination of math, stats, computer science, and a field of expertise such as finance. I also believe being a quant is someone who is constantly in the process of mastering all four skill sets. By that I mean no one learns a specific amount of skills and then reaches quant status. The process of learning and developing new solutions is what make a person a quant.

In the old days having a bachelors degree could be sufficient, however to land a top quant job in today's market you will need a minimum of a masters in math, stats, physics, financial engineering, or other highly quantitative fields. The most direct path is a masters in financial engineering or mathematical finance however a large portion of quants come from very unique backgrounds. To become a quant I would get a quantitative masters degree and focus on taking math, stats, computer science, and a field of specialty. You will need all four areas of studies to be a good quant. And remember it is all about learning. The masters or PhD just opens the door along the way of becoming a quant.

What do you think makes a quant? Are those four areas enough? If you are a quant, how did you get there? My video below covers more details on how to become a quant. Follow me on LinkedIn or Subscribe on Youtube for similar content!