Re: Career advice - High Frequency Trading network engineer

You only live once.

HFT you're involved with the business and the greater the risk the
bigger the reward. Comfy is fine, and it's easy enough to find those
comfy jobs every other day. HFT will pay above market, has greater
bonus potential and you'll be on the forefront of technology. I
personally love it. Knocking latency down out of the trading process.
Knowing I'm helping the bottom line. The blue pill might have you work
50+ hours, HFT is ?.

Me personally, I think I have more stability at my firm than at a big
bank. Big banks have to answer to stock holders and if the stock is
down, they'll lop off any number to get there. Mergers, acquisitions,
won't find that at a small HFT shop. Also stability typically equates
to complacency and complacency kills. Uncertain climate? We can die
tomorrow in a car wreck. Wasting time thru change management and
beaucracy is for the birds.

Big bank will have you stick close to enterprise level approach, HFT
will have you come up with creative solutions to get the most bang for
your buck.

Back to comfy jobs. Depending on the metro you're in, it's easy enough
to find more corporate ladder, big bank jobs. Smaller firm gives you
nimble and quick abilities, access to partners, tech and providers.

What do you have to lose? Talk with your family. Make sure you
negotiate and feel valued for your time. You will put in more hours
than a comfy job, but you'll be sharper, gain greater beyond Network
knowledge (markets, systems) and become very valuable.

Congrats either way you choose. It's a good position to have choices.
If you have more questions, ping me.

HTH,
JB

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 13, 2013, at 9:58 AM, Adrian <ccie2323_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks joe,
>
> Very nice inside view. I was contemplating the decision for a long time. I'm really comfortable at the blue pill with my bosses and colleagues, I think I will be well looked after in the big machine, u got everything spot on on the kinda of work the blue pill provides.
>
> I guess the red pill is hard to come by and as they are lean machine I'm kinda worried about job stability at this uncertain climate.
>
>
>
> On 13 Jan, 2013, at 10:51 PM, "Joseph L. Brunner" <joe_at_affirmedsystems.com> wrote:
>
>> I can answer you on that - I have done both -
>>
>> The Blue Pill
>>
>> An investment bank is often a very slow job, staged configs by different teams, pigeon holing (only being allowed to work on singular repetitive tasks) and lots of political infighting... At a big bank, you'll be underpaid, under challenged and often, find you are quite replaceable when Dell or HP get's the contract to outsource your job. There will be MANY middle managers who can't do you job, don't understand your job - but LOVE to leave at 4pm and take all the credit the next day when you stayed until 11pm for a change over. There will be people that you will KNOW can NEVER EVER EVER have the job they have ANYWHERE else. You will find things like 4 weeks of meetings to change a firewall rule, 3 weeks of meetings to change a catalyst line card - and all along - you'll be forced to explain to people in meetings who again REALLY DON'T CARE about the technology and are NOT passionate about it - but will go out of their way to hammer you with stupid questions - just to make!
  !
> themselves look smart.... they will make snarky comments about "all those letters after your name" and "well, anyone can get certified, it doesn't mean they have experience" (but have NOT one single certification themselves). I can't think of one big bank I have worked at or interviewed at where there was not at least 50% of the people (managers, directors) that could and SHOULD be cut and anyone would ever notice they were not there. they offered and did NOTHING. Remember, this is an industry which through its own MISMANAGEMENT had to be bailed out at taxpayer expense... sounds like fun?
>>
>> However, I offer you the red pill...
>>
>> As an HFT network engineer, I'm constantly challenged to do more with less - HFT shops are very LEAN, we don't have any fat - we can't afford it. We get all the greatest equipment - we just have to make it work really well. We work very closely with some of the smartest people anywhere - quantitative analysts, programmers and traders - we are VERY appreciated - they are very proud of us as we are of them. We learn things like fpga's, linux scripts and automation, solarflare and dozens of other technologies other than basic "route and switch". We have to do things with Multicast and Market Data to get feeds from many different sources to the trading systems as "fast as possible". We do meetings with vendors who just came to market and are asked by our traders to make and prove critical decisions and come up with challenging test plans for new potential equipment like 40gbe switches. This allows us to work with the VERY LATEST technologies and compare and contrast them to t!
 r!
> aditional approaches. We get "right into the action" and learn and see trading strategies and development - so we have to learn to keep secrets (BIGTIME). We can't even tell our wives or friends when, what or how our firm trades. You are given awesome levels of responsibility and often the pay is great. There are people I met in HFT I would say are uniquely passionate, creative and take so much pride in their work that I step up to an even higher level and take even more pride in mine. I have never experienced any bad people or lazy people in HFT. That's the best part of a lean, nimble company - we get to see each other work up close - and we know right away who should and should not be there.
>>
>> If working for a big investment bank is getting to mow the grass at an NFL stadium - working for an HFT or prop shop is like being allowed to play Quarterback in the playoffs...
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Joe
>> #19366
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nobody_at_groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody_at_groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of ccie2323
>> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2013 6:52 AM
>> To: ccielab_at_groupstudy.com
>> Subject: OT: Career advice - High Frequency Trading network engineer
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Would like some thoughts on HFT project network engineer role, the role is for a investment bank mainly to build new network infrastructure for the organization. How is the role as compared to a investment bank campus project network engineer. Which role will give better experience and career advancement, i have more then 5 years of enterprise network engineer experience.
>>
>>
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Received on Sun Jan 13 2013 - 12:02:43 ART