Financial Math Students

Another reason to join IAFE

Join the IAFE to be included in the 2009 IAFE Members Resume Book
 
The IAFE invites all members to be included in the 2009 IAFE Member Resume Book. The 2009 IAFE Member Resume Book contains the resumes of participating IAFE members for use by recruiters in the Finance Industry.  Inclusion is optional and the book will be made available to recruiters who have contacted the IAFE.
 
To be included in the 2009 IAFE Member Resume Book:
    * Must be a current IAFE member
    * Resume must be no longer than 2 pages
    * Resume must be submitted in .pdf format
    * Resume should be sent to Events@IAFE.org
    * Resume must be received by October 23, 2009
To join the IAFE or to renew your membership click here.

If you have any questions regarding your membership status please contact Mark Murynec at Mark.Murynec@IAFE.org.

*All resumes must be emailed to Events@IAFE.org to be included in the 2009 IAFE Member Resume Book.

Posted at 04:26PM Oct 18, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

Job posting at SAS

 Analytic Engineer - Financial Modeler - 09001600

You will support customer analytic business needs through data discovery, analysis, and reporting.  Building, maintaining, stress testing, and validating structured financial models will be included within your scope of responsibilities.

You will also review and analyze financial reports and ensure alignment of financial models with financial strategies; translate model performance to the financial benefit of the business by incorporating knowledge of customer business practices; and specify, modify, and update models and approaches based upon emerging ideas and methodologies.  Your duties will also involve participating in end-to-end customer analytic needs to include identifying data analysis requirements, processing and exploring client data, translating business requirements into analytic methods, building analytic models, developing analysis reports, and presenting reports to customers.

Qualifications

 Essential

    * Master's degree in financial mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, or a related quantitative field
    * 4 years experience developing financial models for risk or credit scoring, portfolio optimization, retention, customer LTV analysis, and/or direct marketing of financial products

Additional

    * Familiarity with data mining techniques
    * Ability to write and edit technical statistical documentation
    * Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with people with various technical backgrounds
    * Ability to detect issues in data, creating and testing hypotheses about causes and cures

Preferences

    * Ph.D. degree in financial mathematics or a quantitative field
    * Experience with the SAS Financial Product set

Additional Information

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require now, or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status.

The level of this position will be determined based on the applicant's education, skills and experience.

 Resumes may be considered in the order they are received.

SAS employees performing certain job functions may require access to technology or software subject to export or import regulations.  To comply with these regulations, SAS may obtain nationality or citizenship information from applicants for employment.  SAS collects this information solely for trade law compliance purposes and does not use it to discriminate unfairly in the hiring process.

Job Software R&D
Primary LocationUS-NC-Cary
Organization SAS Institute Inc.
Job Posting Aug 24, 2009
Unposting Date Ongoing
* Classification Full-time

Recruiter Melody Whitford
Hiring Manager Thomas Lehman

Posted at 07:48PM Sep 24, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

More Information about the BoA Sept 22 info session

The presentation will focus on GRMAP, but they will entertain questions about QMAP as well.  

Qualifications include

• Eligibility to work in the U.S.  (They are not sponsoring visas)
• Min GPA of 3.3 for QMAP, and 3.0 for GRMAP. 
• There is a resume 'drop box' through the Career Center website. 

Posted at 08:40AM Sep 17, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

Bank of America, Sept 22

Bank of America will be holding a recruitment presentation for the GRMAP full-time program at NCSU on September 22th in Nelson Hall room 2403 from 4pm  - 6pm.

This presentation is to inform students about the program and the deadlines associated with recruitment; students will need apply through NCSU career services (ePack) and through Bank of America’s website online (see the enclosed program description for details).

Typically, the GRMAP program targets undergraduates who will be ready to begin working by the end of next June (i.e. graduated in December or May).  However, graduate students (Financial Mathematics students) are welcome to apply but they should know that they are not at any advantage being a graduate student. This program is not necessarily as quantitative as Bank of America’s QMAP program and the most competitive students are ones with a broad range of skills.

Director's note: Even though BoA does not sponsor foreign students for this program, all FM students should attend.  You will be presented with information about BoA, and this will also help familarize you with the "information presentation" format.

Announcement

Program description

Posted at 08:15PM Sep 09, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

IAFE/NYU Career Fair

Participation in this career fair is highly recommended for students graduating within the next 12 months.

Only candidates seeking full time positions, not internships, will be able to attend. Students graduating before September 1, 2010 will be considered eligible to register for the fair. More information about registration can be found on our website www.finmathjobfair.org.

The registration period for students to attend the Career Fair: 

Opens Wednesday September 9 at 9am

Closes Friday, October 2 at 5pm

Registration and other important information can be found on the Career Fair Website www.finmathjobfair.org beginning on September 9th

Deadline for resume submission for the Career Fair Resume Book: 

Friday, October 2 at 5pm 

Posted at 05:17PM Sep 06, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

Social, August 27

Weather permitting, everyone is invited to the next FM Faculy/Student Social to see the Embers at the North Hills Beach Music Series, August 27 (NH Calendar link).

• Rides:  Shannon Stallings has agreed to coordinate rides.  Please let him know if you need a ride, or if you have a car and are willing to give ride (for how many).
• Where to meet: In front of the Q-shack in the North Hills Commons (map link)
• What to bring: folding lawn chairs are good.  Food can be purchased at North Hills.
• This is a casual event. 
  
• The music and parking is free.  
• The Embers are a fairly popular band, so it may be crowded.

Post questions and comments to this blog.

Posted at 08:59AM Aug 22, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

Electives at Duke

At least one FM student (with transportation) will be taking Fixed Income Securities (FIN 450) at Duke.  Email Dr. Scroggs if you are interested in contacting the student taking the course.  This course will count as a FM Elective.

Posted at 02:58PM Aug 21, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Academic Advising  | 

Facebook for current students

Current students are invited to join Facebook group "NCSU Financial Mathematics Students".  It should be clear who you are from your Facebook profile (photo and name clear).

Posted at 05:44PM Aug 18, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

PSM Biotech networking event

(FM Director's note -- this event focuses on networking skills in the context of biotechology)

Dear NC State grad students,

As the capstone of the joint Duke/UNC workshop series "Essential Skills for Success in Industry" we invite you to attend a networking event with biotechnology and pharmaceutical professionals on Wednesday August 19 to be held at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (click here for directions: http://www.ncbiotech.org/about_us/regional_offices_and_directions/directions/index.html). Panelists from the workshop series will be present as well as other invited guests from industry including bench scientists, business owners, entrepreneurs, CEOs, venture capitalists, intellectual property attorneys, and many like minded students from UNC and Duke.

Agenda

• 9:00-10:00AM. Question and answer session with industry postdocs currently in the NCBC Industry Fellowship Program. Panelists will answer your questions about transitioning from academia to industry.

• 10:00-11:30AM. Poster and networking session with industry professionals. Poster presenters will be free to mingle during one half on the session. Please contact Patrick Brandt (pdb@unc.edu) if you wish to present a poster.

Please register if you wish to attend or copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://cfx.research.unc.edu/res_classreg/browse_single.cfm?New=1&event_id=22078 

Posted at 08:41PM Aug 11, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

Professional Development Seminars

PDS seminars help with interview skills, interview etiquette, resume writing, etc.

http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/preparing-future-leaders/career-skills/seminars.html

You must register for these seminars, and they typically fill up fast.

Posted at 02:53PM Aug 07, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  |  Comments[1]

NCSU's Grad School is in Facebook

The Facebook group is "NC State University Graduate School" -- useful for general information, such as New Graduate Student Orientation.

Posted at 11:24AM Aug 06, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

FM Career Fair

Graduating students -- hold the date of Oct. 30 for the IAFE Career Fair.

Posted at 01:22AM Aug 06, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

Organizations Good to Join

Suggestions:

 Join linkedin.com, and request to be added to the "Quant Finance" group.

 Join IAFE (iafe.org/html)

 Both of these are very relevant to FM/quants.

Posted at 11:47PM Aug 05, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

Selecting electives courses

Q: I have heard that students in the financial mathematics course are not allowed to take up MBA courses as electives from the business school. Is it that the university does not allow the students to take up courses like portfolio management and international finance? 

A: The program is designed so that students take their electives in the second year, so we can discuss this further after you start the program. 

Many courses, including MBA offerings, restrict enrollment in such a way that FM students cannot obtain a seat.  Only the core courses are promised to have seats for FM students.

Posted at 08:42AM Jun 14, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  |  Comments[1]

Books to refresh/strengthen math background

Q:  I am a new student for Fall, and I have heard that  the math courses in the 1st semester are difficult.  Although i am confident in my math foundation, could you please recommend some pre-reading books for me.

 
A: Yes, the courses in Fall expect your math background to be 'fresh'.  In addition to the textbooks in the classes mentioned in another posting to this blog, the "Schuam's Outline Series" provides sample problems worked in great detail.  These books are available from amazon.com and other publishers.

Posted at 10:02AM Jun 10, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  |  Comments[1]

Prerequisites for Fall Core

Q: I would like to know more about the prerequisites and the books i should refer to for these courses.  Am i supposed to take a test of the prerequisite courses?

 
A: Click on the course number to discover the prerequisites.  The textbook for the course is available inside your MyPack schedule.  You can view textbooks for classes not in your schedule by looking the course up using the Schedule of Courses at http://www.ncsu.edu/registrar/courses/index.html.

Additional prerequisite information is available at http://www.math.ncsu.edu/finmath/newStudentsPrerequisites.html
 
There is no testing.  You can gain an understanding of the depth and breadth of expectations by reviewing the textbook of the class (in the introduction), and by look at textbooks for pre-requisites. 

Posted at 11:28AM Jun 08, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  | 

Statistics and Financial Risk, ST 810

Dr.  Bloomfield will offer Statistics and Financial Risk, ST 810, Fall 2009.  The course will be similar to the last time he offered it (http://www4.stat.ncsu.edu/~bloomfld/courses.html).  Contact Dr. Bloofield for more information.

Using MyPack, register for ST 810.004 (crs nmbr 28830).

Posted at 04:36PM Jun 05, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  |  Comments[1]

Academic Calendar, Orientation, etc.

The date classes start is in the NCSU Academic Calendar (www.ncsu.edu/registrar/calendars/index.html).  All students are encouraged to attend NCSU's New Graduate Student Orientation (www.ncsu.edu/grad/about-grad/orientation.html), usually held the Monday before classes start.  International students also have an orientation about 1 week before classes start (www.ncsu.edu/oisss/).

Posted at 04:02PM Apr 28, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  | 

Registering for classes

To register for Fall courses, browse to the link in the 'Registration' section of your admission letter. (International students must first be cleared by the Office of International Students.)  If you experience a problem registering for a class, contact me via email.

Posted at 04:02PM Apr 28, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  | 

Student ID, Unity Account, password

Posted at 04:01PM Apr 28, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  | 

Distance Ed registration

To take a distance-education class, such as MA 501 in Summer Session I, browse to Engineering Online (engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/), and register for the class as a Non-Degree Student (NDS).  EOL relies on your email account, so check it frequently.

Posted at 04:00PM Apr 28, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in New Students  | 

Curriculum Revisions: MA546->ST521, ECG590i->ECG528

Effective Fall 2009:

Asset Pricing, ECG 590i, has been renumbered to ECG 528.  There have some problems getting the class properly listed at Registration and Records (problem reported 17 March 2009).  Once listed, it will be offered Tuesday/Thursday 11:45am  - 1:00pm. 

MA 546 has been replaced by ST 521 in the Fall Core.  Students who take both of these courses can use one as an elective.

Posted at 03:35PM Mar 17, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Academic Advising  |  Comments[1]

Implications of Option B Masters Degree

The Masters of Financial Mathematics is an Option B Masters Degree.  This means there is no "thesis" to defend, but you are required to have a project or internship.  Other implications include

1. Officially designated minors are prohibited
   
2. You cannot co-major with another discipline

Posted at 10:55AM Feb 25, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in General  | 

Visit to Progress Energy

FM Students -- mark you calendar!

Progress Energy invites us for a visit on the afternoon of March 19.  

Details will be provided after Spring Break.

Posted at 01:51PM Feb 20, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Seminars, Workshops, and Special Presentations  | 

Credit Suisse is looking for summer interns in both IT-Finance and Operations area.

Thanks to Financial Math Alum Saumya Gupta for bringing this to our attention.

Credit Suisse is looking for summer interns in both IT-Finance and Operations area.

• Description 1: http://www.math.ncsu.edu/finmath/news/2009csInternship1.pdf
• Description 2: http://www.math.ncsu.edu/finmath/news/2009csInternship2.pdf
  

Consult Mr. Ingram with your questions (http://www.ncsu.edu/career/quicklinks/staff.php?view=students)

Posted at 10:21AM Jan 30, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

BoA presentation Feb 3

Fellow Financial Math students,

Bank of America will have recruiters on campus next Tuesday, February 3
for a presentation for BofA's Global Risk Management Associate Program
(GRMAP) Internship. The presentation is at 4:30pm in room 2403 at Nelson
Hall. They will be conducting first round interviews for this program on
February 9th at NC State. While I did not do this internship, I know about
this program because I'm going to start working in the equivalent
full-time program this summer.

A description of the program can be found here:
http://careers.bankofamerica.com/campusrecruiting/ui_us_grmip.asp
Also, there is a description for this program/position on NC State's epack
(career services) website.

Just to let you know a few points:
-First, BofA does not sponsor visas for this program! Therefore,
international students may not be eligible for this program.

-Second, this is not a "quant" program. While a mathematics background can
be very helpful, you may not necessary use a lot of quantitative
techniques in this program. Instead, this program is typically geared
towards undergraduates with a broad background (economics, business,
computer science, etc.); however, the program does consider some graduate
students, especially those with little work experience. Therefore, more
competitive candidates will probably have a broader skill set than a
candidate with only a very strong mathematics background who is instead
probably better off applying for Bank of America's quantitative management
associate program (QMAP)--although unfortunately the QMAP program does not
recruit directly at NC State. In particular, during the interview process
for my position, the emphasis was largely behavioral and non-technical by
focusing on soft skills (e.g. strong communication, leadership and
interpersonal skills).

-Third, the deadline for applying for this program through epack has
expired; however, if you are still interested in applying, be prepared to
drop off a resume at this presentation!

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions and best of luck in
your job searches!

Sincerely,

Ryan Wesslen

ryan_wesslen@ncsu.edu

Posted at 04:42PM Jan 29, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

What Probability and Forrest Gump Teach Us About Lotteries

This should be an interactive and entertaining talk...  hope to see you there!

Department of Statistics Seminar

North Carolina State University

Presents

Dr. Ronald Waserstein

 Executive Director of American Statistical Association

Posted at 09:17AM Jan 09, 2009 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Seminars, Workshops, and Special Presentations  | 

MS/PhD Career Fair

Posted at 09:26AM Nov 11, 2008 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Jobs & Internships  | 

Wachovia Executive Lecture Series

Nov. 10 Wachovia Executive Lecture Series Presents Ursula Burns, President of Xerox
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Nelson Auditorium (3400 Nelson Hall)
Topic: Lessons of Leadership: Bold Bets and Back to Basics.
Includes a Question/Answer session - Students encouraged to participate

Nov. 19 Wachovia Executive Lecture Series Presents William J. Amelio, President & CEO, Lenovo
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Nelson Auditorium (3400 Nelson Hall)
Topic: New World, New Winning Strategies
Includes a Question/Answer session - Students encouraged to participate

For additional information, contact Anna Rzewnicki, director of communications, NC State College of Management: phone, 919.513.4478; email, anna_rzewnicki@ncsu.edu

Posted at 04:33PM Nov 06, 2008 by Jeffrey Scroggs in Seminars, Workshops, and Special Presentations  | 

CMU-Portugal Ph.D. Fellowships

The ICTI Ph.D. Program in Applied Mathematics offers courses of studies
in Applied Analysis and in Probability, Stochastic Analysis and their
Applications.

See the comment posted below for more information.

Posted at 09:00PM Nov 03, 2008 by Jeffrey Scroggs in PhD Programs  |  Comments[1]