Portfolio managers, Investment analysts "Actuarial experience is a plus"

Thanks for the book recommendations.
Alot of people in hedgefunds today still don’t believe in quantitative skills though. They tend to think that those theories and formulas are only useful for finance professors who want to proof that they can price an asset correctly. The major shops, like Renaissance Tech (and they only hire quant phDs), Citadel, De Shaw, tend to put great emphasis on quant skills.
I know someone who graduated from Wharton in Finance, Actuarial Science, Computer Science and was given an offer by Citadel. Feeling that his quant skills are still not enough, this person defer the offer, and is now going to Princeton to complete his one-year MS in Quant Finance. Quantitative skills are very important in hedge funds these days.
I would actually advise you to not take the FSA exams, because they are very time consuming, especially when you won’t work a single day in the actuarial field in the future. Take them only if you want to try out the actuarial field for a few years. What are those exams good for if you never use them on actuarial modeling? If you are serious about improving your quant skills, go to grad school for a one-year MS. Many schools, like Columbia, offer one-year MS in Quant Finance, FE, and Statistics. I was told that the admission requirement for Statistics is pretty loose there and they admit alot of people. You can continue your CFA, FRM, CAIA exams while sharpening your skills there for that one year. Then at graduation you will have the skillsets ready. And I think alot of financial services companies recruit there at columbia too.
 
The matter of Quant vs. nonQuant hedgefunds seems to pertain more to hedge fund strategy type in my honest opinion.
I have considering applying for the MS in quantitative finance or MFE but at this time is an economic impossibility; I am not from a well-off family so I am saddled in NYU school debts. I can’t afford to take another 50,000 USD loan as well as taking another 20,000 USD semester at NYU to minor in math or statistics.
I’m not really a quant sort of person; I dislike math but historically has not been deficient in it when given the task.
Even though it sounds really ghetto, I’m strongly considering getting a Certificate in Quantitative finance and/or Certificate in Mathematical Methods - CM²…a self study program that costs only $3,100 that covers the same topics as a MS in QF (in the future). While certainly far less reputable, it fits my budget and learning style (I find going to classes overrated).
I would carry it as a complementary academic credential to the qualitative hedge fund knowledge I learned from the CAIA program.
http://www.wilmott.com/cqf.cfm
http://www.7city.com/cqf_fees.php?area=quants&outline=cqf&course=fees&co...
http://www.wilmott.com/cqf_brochure.pdf
I plan on getting an top MBA in a few years, so it doesn’t seem to make sense to spend huge money on a MS in finance when I’m already moving through the CFA and supporting educational tools.
 
The CQF program seems terrific, but each module, there are only five to six lectures, is it long enough to get deeper in each topic? Altogether it is only six month program and long distance……
Again, how about the popularity and authority of this program in mathematcial finance?
 
Yeah I was kind of wondering about the same thing as huakbb. If you think Columbia or NYU’s program is too expensive, maybe you can consider Baruch’s MFE. According to their website, alot of the students enrolled there have some prior experience in quantitative roles in i-banks. I think Baruch’s tuition is only like $170 per credit - cheaper than the private schools but allows you to learn the quantitative materials in greater depth. Plus I think they offer classes at like 7pm to suit those currently working full-time.
 
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