When preparing for a career in Financial Engineering, it’s helpful to know all the details in order to be considered a good candidate for a job, as well as how to be successful in that role once hired.
Such a multidisciplinary field deserves multidisciplinary candidates.
A Financial Engineer? What’s That All About?
A financial engineer, also known as a computational engineer, gives clients advice on risk management and investment strategies based on a quantitative study of their portfolio and the market environment. As a financial engineer, you will be responsible for performing stock market analysis to forecast stock performance, developing models of stock market patterns based on historical data, and making portfolio management suggestions.
What You Need to Know Before Diving In
From the get-go, anyone considering a career in financial engineering should know that their role is definitely not finance-bound.
A financial engineer may go further into machine learning fields like natural language processing or analysis of alternative data sets to produce concepts for additional research and testing. Some financial engineers concentrate on the microstructure of the market and may investigate technical topics like algorithmic or high-frequency trading and their influence on the dynamics of the financial markets.
They may also design methods for assessing and controlling risk for particular asset classes or financial products, or for the alleged “systemic risk” that is ingrained in the financial system as a whole.
Getting the Right Experience
Group projects and internships are excellent ways to expand the knowledge of financial engineering in a work environment. This experience is valued by employers since it demonstrates commitment, ambition, and passion alongside a fundamental skill set in the field, increasing the likelihood of being hired.
What about Character and Drive?
Many assume a financial engineer works behind the scenes; however, character and communication techniques are core traits. Everyone in this industry is “clever”, and being articulate, and curious while careful with your surrounding is crucial as a financial engineer.
Beyond the technical abilities needed in this sector, communication skills are probably the most underappreciated requirement.
In fact, financial engineers that are curious are also better able to spot new financial trends and provide solutions to issues while learning active listening, patience, and vocal clarity.
Moreover, when it comes to continuous learning, it’s important to always be on the lookout for schools that offer a variety of networking groups, conferences, and training to keep you up to date on the newest developments and ideas.
The ESiLV master’s specialty in Financial Engineering considers significant developments in risk management, which new financial directives have made more complex. These developments include high-frequency trading, the combined use of machine learning and the mathematics of randomness, and developments in hedge funds.
The Financial Engineering major develops all the skills you need to learn about and fully comprehend the complexity of financial markets.
Interested in a career as a Financial Engineer? Let’s talk!