My New Job

I'm happy to report today that my job search has come to a successful conclusion. I've accepted a position as an Associate Financial Engineer with Algorithics Incorporated. Check out the link for info on the company if you are so inclined. I'm very excited about this opportunity, as it is incredibly well suited to my skillset. It will be largely finance-related, but will also require some math skills and a degree of sales proficiency. This is a very well respected company and they're doing some very exciting work. I'm not just drinking the Algorithmics Kool-Aid at this point, I'm taking it intravenously from an I.V. I'm wheeling around with me wherever I go.

In hindsight, choosing the Rotman specialization in Financial Engineering & Risk Management paid off nicely for me. Especially beneficial were Tom McCurdy's Financial Modeling & Trading Strategies course and John Hull's Financial Risk Management. There's no way I land this job without that background. Again, for those of you who might be interested (I'm quite aware that many TAML readers are not) Rotman's website describes the specialization thusly:

You will learn about derivatives markets and how instruments such as futures and options can be used for risk management. You will learn about risk management from the perspective of: a corporate treasurer interested in hedging exposure to interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices; a fund manager who wants to change the nature of exposure to financial markets; and a financial institution that trades derivatives and is faced with an increasingly complex regulatory environment. You will also learn how to price a wide range of derivatives instruments.

For anyone in the first year at Rotman or on their way here next year who might be looking in, my advice is in addition to getting to know your classmates and the class ahead of you, get to know your profs. In my case, the interview at Algorithmics was set up through a contact of the aforementioned Professor McCurdy. Thanks Tom. It's immensely satisfying to see something you've worked towards for almost 2 years finally become a reality. As Hannibal Smith used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together".