Now, to upskill as a quant or to simply become a better one, following are the areas you need to put emphasis upon: Forward-looking trading; Scenario analysis; Geo-political considerations; Alternative data; Forward-looking trading. But mentally, I am definitely in the same state as you are-very intrigued and interested by quantitative finance and wanting to jump into it. It is often difficult to become a quant trader straight out of university as the skills necessary take a significant amount of time to develop. Becoming a quant or a quantitative analyst requires dedication and hard work. A quant who ends up being successful may make 10 trades. The quants need to anticipate future markets conditions on the basis of various factors. I am in a very similar situation as you, except that I am a lot younger. But that also doesn't mean that everyone who has the ability to be a quant should become one. I think you're age shouldn't be a problem. I’ve answered this before: but I think the below covers it quite well. 3 – Is comfortable with failure. Not being fluent in a computer language will put you at a severe disadvantage compared to other candidates applying for quant roles. I am currently a CS major at the University of Illinois (5th rank CS program, but maybe lacks the prestigious name, so does this hurt me?). Unlike fundamental or Quants nowadays are spending more and more of their time programming. Don’t go for the degree, as that’s the lengthy version. Moreover, they may experience losses on the first eight trades and only profit with the last two. A quantitative trader will constantly be on the lookout for innovative trading ideas. Roq if you really want to become a quant then you should. Also, a quantitative analyst’s career is quite stimulating and rewarding. Financial engineering (i.e. I will, in all probability, start an MFE degree this fall. This includes financial engineers, quant traders, quant researchers, quant developers and risk managers. Becoming a Quant - Advice (Originally Posted: 09/22/2014) So this is my first time posting here, but I was hoping I could get some big picture advice on what I should be doing over the next couple of years to eventually line up a quant position. Even if an idea appears to be foolproof, the dynamic conditions of the market may end up rendering it a complete bust. The financial problems that quants face are very abstract and narrow. With all the knowledge, a quant experiences a successful career at a hedge fund or an investment bank since the demand at such firms is high for a quant.