What are the best fields for a C++ person?

[d000hg]

Inspired by this thread about quants...

As someone who has more C++ dev experience than any other language (by a factor of 3), and a math/physics degree, I've wondered about quants in the past since my understanding is it's one of the top-paying specialties, and firm bastions, of C++?

More generally, as regular systems move more and more to Java/.NET/etc, what are the best fields for an experienced C++ developer to try and break into? By 'best' I mean not just money, but which are actively using C++ rather than maintaining C++ systems until they get round to replacing with a Java version in a year or two.

ps: if you're a C++ guy, any indication of the areas you work in and what you charge would be great. And as a specific question - is heavy C++ work tightly coupled with non-Windows environments?

[northernladuk]

Dunno if this is anyhelp. Doesn't look as good as I thought it was so maybe not to be trusted...

Quantitative Developer Contracts, Contractor Rates for Quantitative Developer Jobs

16% of the jobs also asked for PhD apparently!!

also

Quantitative Search

[Fra]

I don't work in a bank but this is my understanding Usually C++ for Qant Dev position, High Frequency Trading or Algo Trading.
For Quant Dev you need also a very good preparation in math, very often recruiters like to put the word "quant" just to attract
more people, the problem now is that there are very few positions available and a lot of phd coming from post graduate degrees
so entering is nearly impossible.
When I spoke with a very famous quant he told me that the way to do such a job is to start in a bank trying to reach this position.

If you are more tech than math there is HFT and Algo, linux, kenel, network, assembly, gpu, fpga are useful skills to have.

cheers

[BlasterBates]

A lot of contracts/jobs on risk and pricing systems without the title "quant" programmer usually on the more simple exchange traded stuff but where you'll get to learn it; then just extend your knowledge reading around and apply for the more exotic stuff. In the end a system which has quant stuff in it still has to communicate with other systems, convert trade messages, book trades etc. So once you've been working on risk and pricing systems you'll find yourself in a position to apply for these jobs. Basically just slowly work your way into it.

[Scrag Meister]

As soon as I see Quant, I back off cos I know they'll be looking for PHD maths.

C++ is generally used for performance critical stuff like analytics and pricing libraries, trade feeds etc..

C# is the new VB6, for gui, db.

Python seems to be making a bit of headway too.

Java is always stuck in there somewhere as a C# alternative.

VBA is slowly dying but still some roles about.

[nomadd]

Java is always stuck in there somewhere as a C# alternative.

I've never seen Java used much as a "C# alternative." There are a few who've gone the Swing route rather than WPF, but not many.

Every Bank I've worked for in the last 5 years (2 Retail, 2 IB) wanted Java on Linux for all their "server-based" systems. That's mainly legacy C++ code on Solaris at present. They migrate away due to the cost savings of Java and Linux, and the fact that many products/projects are already Java/Linux-based (Spring, Hibernate, Coherence, ...plus a million others.) With the huge losses many Banks have been showing in the last few years (bailouts not withstanding), there is enormous pressure on IT around costs.

Apart from grid/cluster/cache based computing (usually always Java/Linux), the only other big growth area in recent years I've seen in IBs is in ultra low-latency messaging - and most of that is in C, not C++, for ultra-performance reasons (i.e. nano/micro latencies.) I'm currently working with the leading vendor in this space to get their Java JMS implementation up-to-scratch.

Very good book on recent trends in IB banking:
The High Frequency Game Changer: How Automated Trading Strategies Have Revolutionized the Markets


See Chapter 3 for technology details.

If you are interested in heavy grunt work, parallelised, I'd look at GP/GPU. Nvidia lead in this space. Look at Cuda and C. They also have a Template library for C++. You can run/develop most of this on a decent 570/580 based graphics card, if you are into gaming (like me.) Tools are all free on Nvidia's Developer Zone. Final code will end up running on a Tesla board of some form (much higher DP throughput.) Quite a few banks have gone in this direction, as the speed-up for highly math-oriented code can be significant (hence why Tesla boards are finding their way into most new super-computer designs.)

Just my two cents (from here on the front-lines. )

[d000hg]

Interesting, I didn't know GPGPU had moved into banking and other such traditional areas.... thought it was all more scientific applications.

Thanks.

[nomadd]

Interesting, I didn't know GPGPU had moved into banking and other such traditional areas.... thought it was all more scientific applications.

Thanks.

Look here: Computational Finance

NB. Most of the stuff I quoted in my prior mail can be considered pretty "cutting edge", so you may not find a huge number of jobs in these areas. But when you do, they pay big bucks.

And if you are looking to "break" into a new area, it's always best to go in with a knowledge of the cutting-edge stuff, as the people who interview you are pretty clueless on it all. And when you do get a contract, it's likely to be long-term with you in a very senior role on the project.

If you avoid the cutting-edge stuff (IMHO), you just end up as a "support coder" as a contractor, spending your life fixing someone else's mess (they've ususally just resigned before you joined.) I've never done that sort of stuff in IBs; I've always concentrated on large, new projects which have lots of new interesting things to learn - otherwise IB IT is one of the most boring areas of IT to be invloved in (again, IMHO. )

[SunnyInHades]

Rumour has it that C++ will be resurrected by Microsoft as the preferred dev language for Windows 8 'Metro' style apps
I'll believe it when I see it (I hope it's true...)

From I Programmer - programming, reviews and projects, 10 September 2011..

"Windows 8"
"an indication that Microsoft was no longer backing Silverlight, WPF and .NET"
"the amount of attention C++ has been getting really does backup the idea that WinC++ is going to be the new .NET."
"rumours of Jupiter, a DirectX derived 2D UI framework that can be used from C++, JavaScript or XAML"

[MyUserName]

I am a C+ contractorw working in banking, if you have C++ there seem to be two different types of bank contracts available:

On Windows with MFC for legacy systems. Most of these are being taken over by C# and WPF/Silverlite.

On Linux doing low level data transfer. These are hardcore (in many cases almost using purely C) optimised data transfer systems.

Competition is ferocious for both types of job.