3 ms·

What sort of stuff do you want to know ?

by ig1 17y ago

w1ntermute 17y ago
Just any notable stories (anonymized, of course). I wouldn't really know where to start asking questions, but here are a few: What sets the field apart from other areas of programming, in terms of your problem-solving approach? What kind of special qualifications do recruiters look for? Also, what kind of platform (OS, language, etc.) do you use? Do you hand-optimize the code?
- ig1 17y ago
  Generally C++ is the dominant language (although Java is growing), unix the platform (Solaris and Linux mainly). I know at least a couple of firms that are embedding code onto programmable network cards for equities trading. If you go to the eFinancialCareers website and search for "low latency" you can see the kind of thing recruiters look for. In terms of problem solving it's not that different from other areas. Concurrency is obviously very big (lock free algorithms, etc) as is being comfortable with low-level stuff. You don't need it all the time but sometimes you do need to be able to read through kernel code and get an intimate understanding of things like tcp/ip.
  - w1ntermute 17y ago
    Generally C++ is the dominant language (although Java is growing) Do you typically hand-optimize the assembled code?
    - ig1 17y ago
      No. Some places do hand-optimize particularly cpu intensive parts of code , but it's not the norm for most code. I presume the guys who embed code on network cards probably do it more often, but I don't know.
- gaius 17y ago
  Yaron Minsky talks a a bit about this: http://janestcapital.com/?q=node/61 http://janestcapital.com/?q=node/61
rw 17y ago
I want to know what the ratio of "junior developers" to "MIT PhDs" is. As an economics+machine-learning+software-engineering autodidact, I firmly believe that I am qualified to provide insights in high-frequency trading; but, the impression I get is that, since it's such a cool and profitable field, the firms have their pick of the elite-of-the-elite.
- falsestprophet 17y ago
  They do. And they probably won't give you a second look.
- obiefernandez 17y ago
  I know programmers at one of these kinds of firms, without degrees and making $200-500k per year, including bonuses. It's all about talent.
- eru 17y ago
  Try Jane Street.
- gaius 17y ago
  When I worked in the field (not HFT, but automated trading nonetheless), I was the only one in my cluster of desks with a lowly MSc. Even the QA girl was a maths PhD. It was funny, all the alpha-PhD male programmers were always competing over who was the second-smartest... The smartest guy was light years ahead of anyone else (and the nicest bloke you could hope to meet). I always used to say, the rest of them should pick up his laundry and wash his car so he could concentrate more (they really liked that, HAHA). I didn't do anything beyond the simplest algorithms, most of my work was on interfaces between our code and other stuff (like databases, data feeds, etc). Just grunt work really. Someone's got to do it tho'...

What sort of stuff do you want to know ?

by ig1 17y ago

What sort of stuff do you want to know ?

Just any notable stories (anonymized, of course). I wouldn't really know where to start asking questions, but here are a few: What sets the field apart from other areas of programming, in terms of your problem-solving approach? What kind of special qualifications do recruiters look for? Also, what kind of platform (OS, language, etc.) do you use? Do you hand-optimize the code?

ig1 17y ago
Generally C++ is the dominant language (although Java is growing), unix the platform (Solaris and Linux mainly). I know at least a couple of firms that are embedding code onto programmable network cards for equities trading. If you go to the eFinancialCareers website and search for "low latency" you can see the kind of thing recruiters look for. In terms of problem solving it's not that different from other areas. Concurrency is obviously very big (lock free algorithms, etc) as is being comfortable with low-level stuff. You don't need it all the time but sometimes you do need to be able to read through kernel code and get an intimate understanding of things like tcp/ip.
- w1ntermute 17y ago
  Generally C++ is the dominant language (although Java is growing) Do you typically hand-optimize the assembled code?
  - ig1 17y ago
    No. Some places do hand-optimize particularly cpu intensive parts of code , but it's not the norm for most code. I presume the guys who embed code on network cards probably do it more often, but I don't know.
gaius 17y ago
Yaron Minsky talks a a bit about this: http://janestcapital.com/?q=node/61 http://janestcapital.com/?q=node/61

rw 17y ago

I want to know what the ratio of "junior developers" to "MIT PhDs" is. As an economics+machine-learning+software-engineering autodidact, I firmly believe that I am qualified to provide insights in high-frequency trading; but, the impression I get is that, since it's such a cool and profitable field, the firms have their pick of the elite-of-the-elite.

falsestprophet 17y ago
They do. And they probably won't give you a second look.
obiefernandez 17y ago
I know programmers at one of these kinds of firms, without degrees and making $200-500k per year, including bonuses. It's all about talent.
eru 17y ago
Try Jane Street.
gaius 17y ago
When I worked in the field (not HFT, but automated trading nonetheless), I was the only one in my cluster of desks with a lowly MSc. Even the QA girl was a maths PhD. It was funny, all the alpha-PhD male programmers were always competing over who was the second-smartest... The smartest guy was light years ahead of anyone else (and the nicest bloke you could hope to meet). I always used to say, the rest of them should pick up his laundry and wash his car so he could concentrate more (they really liked that, HAHA). I didn't do anything beyond the simplest algorithms, most of my work was on interfaces between our code and other stuff (like databases, data feeds, etc). Just grunt work really. Someone's got to do it tho'...