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Skills for financial IT jobs

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    Skills for financial IT jobs

    I've been working for the last 10 years in Telecom. This
    is a line of work that is steadily drying up, plus I don't
    find it exciting anymore.

    I've been thinking about switching sectors and move to the
    dark side of Finance. What are the IT skills needed to work
    in the financial sector? Is a MBA needed?

    All input appreciated. All cynicism will get the Kim-Jong Il
    treatment.

    Mark

    #2
    Originally posted by markinbrussels View Post
    What are the IT skills needed to work
    in the financial sector?
    Depends - mostly on what products you want to work on. Are you a PM / BA / programmer?

    Originally posted by markinbrussels View Post
    Is a MBA needed?
    Depends. What is your skill set?

    Your likelihood of getting a technical contract is not boosted by having an MBA. However, if you're consulting on the finer points of service provision (or some other guff) it might be handy.
    ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by markinbrussels View Post
      I've been working for the last 10 years in Telecom. This
      is a line of work that is steadily drying up, plus I don't
      find it exciting anymore.

      I've been thinking about switching sectors and move to the
      dark side of Finance. What are the IT skills needed to work
      in the financial sector? Is a MBA needed?

      All input appreciated. All cynicism will get the Kim-Jong Il
      treatment.

      Mark
      I'm in Finance and I was thinking about just the same in the opposite direction!!

      Some jobs are just technical so as long as you have hot programming skill, that's all that's required.
      I'm alright Jack

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by BlasterBates View Post
        I'm in Finance .
        Clearly not in any any position that requires analytical or intelligent skills or the evaluation of evidence.
        Are you a janitor?
        Hard Brexit now!
        #prayfornodeal

        Comment


          #5
          Don't really need any specific skills, I got in by dropping my day rate for the first 6 months.

          I moved into IB and sat and read the web for a couple of days about derivatives then I knew as much as the guy next to me.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by minestrone View Post
            I moved into IB and sat and read the web for a couple of days about derivatives then I knew as much as the guy next to me.
            WHS - He probably knows more about them than me and I've been in IB for nearly 20 years.
            ...my quagmire of greed....my cesspit of laziness and unfairness....all I am doing is sticking two fingers up at nurses, doctors and other hard working employed professionals...

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by BlasterBates View Post
              I'm in Finance and I was thinking about just the same in the opposite direction!!

              Some jobs are just technical so as long as you have hot programming skill, that's all that's required.
              If you think the gel haired freaks in finance are bad, wait to you meet the utter loon version that works in telecoms.
              Insanity: repeating the same actions, but expecting different results.
              threadeds website, and here's my blog.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by markinbrussels View Post
                I've been thinking about switching sectors and move to the
                dark side of Finance. What are the IT skills needed to work
                in the financial sector? Is a MBA needed?

                Mark
                You really only need to understand the Time Value of Money, for most IB programming jobs.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by aussielong View Post
                  You really only need to understand the Time Value of Money, for most IB programming jobs.
                  Yeah, and for most derivatives and futures programming a basic knowledge of control theory esp. PID controllers and you'll have the maths.
                  Insanity: repeating the same actions, but expecting different results.
                  threadeds website, and here's my blog.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    My first job in an IB was to fix a quote where a value of 7 million was getting added to a value of something like 430 million rather than subtracted, this bug had been in the system for 5 years and when I asked for a documented formula to go in and correct the bug nobody knew what it was meant to be. Really most of the systems I have worked on, and currently work on, are a total shambles and nobody ever knows how they are meant to work.

                    Comment

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