Fitch Learning Launches CQF Careers Guide to Growing Quantitative Finance Industry

The CQF Institute, part of Fitch Learning, announced today (17 May) that it has published, “The CQF Careers Guide to Quantitative Finance”, which is designed for people who are seeking insights on careers in quantitative finance and wish to explore the key professional paths available within this growing sector and the average salary quants can earn in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Professionals with quantitative skills are in great demand. Quant finance is a challenging field with excellent opportunities for curious, highly motivated people. Roles in quant finance offer good salaries, opportunities for growth, and considerable job satisfaction for people who are interested in applying a technical skill set to the real world of the financial markets. Recruiters who specialize in placing quants have expressed the view that 2021 was a very good year and that they expect strong hiring trends to continue across the financial industry, as well as within the ecosystem of tech companies and consulting firms that serve it.

There are some essential skills that are needed for a career in quant finance. In a recent poll conducted by the CQF Institute, 58% of respondents stated that math, finance, and programming are all very important for developing a career in quant finance. The Guide notes the importance of these traditional skills for a career in quant finance and also looks at emerging areas in the field and how professionals can prepare for future job opportunities.  

The Guide covers six career paths in quant finance: 

• Data Science and Machine Learning
• Portfolio Management
• Risk Management
• Quant Strategies and Research
• Technology
• Quant Trading

Within each of these six job categories, there is also a strong emphasis on quantitative and analytical skills, technical expertise, and knowledge of specialized areas of finance. However, some roles require strong communication skills and entail a significant amount of interaction with internal and external clients. A challenging and satisfying career in quant finance depends on the employee’s ability to adapt to changing conditions in the financial markets and the desire to improve on one’s skill set and perspective continuously.

Dr. Randeep Gug, Managing Director, CQF Institute, said:

“Our innovative guide is designed to provide key insights on six career paths open to quants in the most active and exciting areas of the financial markets today.  We hope that it will be helpful for young professionals to evaluate their options, choose to invest wisely in further education in quantitative finance, and go on to find rewarding long-term professional career paths in this exciting industry.”

The full Careers Guide is available to download here.