Employers

There are approximately 329,500 financial analysts employed in the United States, including quantitative analysts. They are employed in the public and private sectors. They work for banks, financial institutions, brokerage and securities firms, government agencies, corporations, and insurance companies. Many financial quantitative analysts work in Wall Street companies, thus many jobs are located in New York City. Jobs are also found in major metropolitan areas throughout the country.

Starting Out

Financial quantitative analysts start as junior analysts in brokerage firms, banks, or investment companies. These types of employers often visit colleges to recruit for entry-level positions. Analysts may also get their start in the career through internships while they are in college. Ask your school's career services office for assistance in researching internship and job opportunities and creating a list of prospective employers to contact. Research the career sections of companies' Web sites to find listings and learn more about entry-level requirements. Search for job listings on eFinancialCareers.com (https://www.efinancialcareers.com). Many analysts network to meet others in the field and learn about potential employment opportunities. Find event listings for networking opportunities by visiting the Web sites of professional associations such as the CFA Institute (https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/events).

Advancement may come in the form of rewards such as bonuses for analysis work that is accurate and successful for clients. Financial quantitative analysts with three or more years of experience may be promoted to senior-level roles, responsible for more complex projects and/or more prestigious clients. They may become managers and department heads, overseeing the work of other quantitative analysts and related professionals. Those with many years of experience may eventually become chief financial officers and vice presidents. Some may leave their jobs to start their own businesses.

Find job listings and learn more about the companies that hire financial quantitative analysts by visiting these Web sites: http://careercenter.afponline.org/jobs and https://www.efinancialcareers.com.

Join professional associations like the Association for Financial Professionals and the CFA Institute to improve your skills and knowledge, gain access to networking opportunities, and find job opportunities.

Attend industry conferences and events to meet finance professionals and keep up with the latest developments in the field. Search for upcoming events at https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/events and http://www.sqa-us.org/events/event_list.asp.

Conduct information interviews with financial quantitative analysts to learn more about the job and what it takes to get started in this career. Ask your school's career services office for help with locating analysts or contact professional associations, which may be able to refer you to members interested in participating.

Read the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (https://jfqa.org) to learn more about the field.