Quant Finance Career AMA with Fiona Taft
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM PDT. Hosted by Fiona Taft.
In this Ask Me Anything session, Fiona Taft outlined the three main types of quant roles, the differences between sell side and buy side firms, and what…
What this session covered
In this Ask Me Anything session, Fiona Taft outlined the three main types of quant roles, the differences between sell side and buy side firms, and what firms screen for in resumes, LinkedIn profiles and interviews. She also covered the technical and soft skills firms look for and answered questions on coding fluency, first interviews, soft skills, cold outreach, pivoting from an actuarial background and getting noticed by recruiters.
Key takeaways
- Quant roles tend to fall into three buckets. Quant researchers design the models, quant traders implement them under pressure, and quant developers build the systems and infrastructure that run the strategies.
- It is often easier to start on the sell side at a big bank, where you get a lot of training, and then transition to the buy side after a few years.
- Using one generic resume for every application is a mistake; tailor it to the exact role, and back up your bullet points with evidence, outcomes and impact statements rather than buzzwords.
- Fiona said application bots just don't work, especially for quant roles; if you use one to send 100 applications in a week, she said you'll hear back from a couple of firms at most.
- Fiona said Part 1 of Optiver's assessment has 80 mental math questions in 8 minutes and that Optiver wants to see 70 correct, so she recommends setting aside 30 to 60 minutes a day for mental math practice.
- Your LinkedIn headline should spell out what you are looking for, such as quant research and Python, because recruiters and headhunters search LinkedIn to find candidates.
Questions covered
Answers are edited for clarity.
How much coding fluency do quant candidates need right now?
You need a lot of fluency, at the intermediate to advanced level in Python and C++, depending on whether you are aiming for quant research, quant trading or quant dev. You'll also need skills in SQL, Java, MATLAB and other applications, but it really depends on your role. For quant research you need Python and libraries such as NumPy, and on the quant dev side you need more languages in your repertoire.
What is one thing candidates should know before their first interview?
It depends on what your first interview is; often it's an online technical assessment, then possibly a HireVue where you answer one to three questions on video, and then you could get your in-person interview. Be ready for a mix of behavioral and technical questions, with your stories nailed for tell me about yourself, walk me through your resume, and why this firm and role. Also practice your technicals daily, for example with the Green Book or mental math.
What soft skills do hiring managers care about?
They care about clear communication, having the skills to collaborate on a team, and being willing to ask for help when you need it rather than suffer in silence. These are the top three. If you have experience managing people or working on a team, highlight it in your resume. Finance firms love collegiate athletes because they've worked on a team and been competitive.
Is cold outreach still worth it?
Yes, but you need a strategy. How are you connected to that company, that recruiter or that quant researcher? We often start with where you went to school and which alumni from your school are at your target firms. Cold applying can work with a strong resume and cover letter, but in quant finance referrals are huge. Avoid images, columns, multiple colors and bolding in your resume, which can get it kicked out of the applicant tracking system.
Is there any chance of breaking into quant trading from an actuarial background with no coding skills?
Yes, there is definitely a chance; actuarial is an area you can pivot into quant from. It depends on your skills, and you absolutely need coding skills for quant trading; less technical roles like discretionary or floor trading may offer less income upside. Start with Python, which I would say firms are 50 to 70% more likely to look for, and practice daily on LeetCode and on HackerRank, which is the platform most firms, though not all, build their technical assessments on.
How do I get on a recruiter's radar without a warm introduction?
Connect with recruiters on LinkedIn; the bigger question is what your elevator pitch to them is. Be specific, because a message saying you're interested in quant roles at their company and hope to get an interview isn't going to work. Have the specific role in mind, apply, and then reach out and convince them to speak with you.