| If math was your strong suit in high school and | | | | an engineer basically involves repackaging financial |
| college, you might consider giving a career as a | | | | products. As a result, you not only have to have |
| financial engineer a try. Leading brokerage houses | | | | a mind for math, but you must also have solid |
| such as Merrill Lynch are increasingly interested in | | | | judgment, since you will be handling other people's |
| hiring financial engineers to help guide their | | | | money. |
| businesses. In fact, Merrill Lynch provided a grant | | | | In addition, you must be highly ethical in order to |
| to MIT to launch a financial engineering program. | | | | succeed as a financial engineer. You must |
| Nowadays, a certificate in financial engineering is | | | | demonstrate that you are honest and |
| considered to be an express route to Wall Street | | | | trustworthy and that you will not divulge sensitive |
| and to the job security and financial rewards that | | | | information to the public. Likewise, you must have |
| it represents. Mathematical modeling is a hot | | | | a good understanding of the law as it relates to |
| property in the investment industry--and financial | | | | financial dealings. |
| engineers can provide it. | | | | Interestingly enough, experts in the field say the |
| An advanced degree is absolutely critical to | | | | best financial engineers are actually self-taught. |
| obtaining a position as a financial engineer. | | | | That's because the work requires stellar |
| Preferably, you should have a graduate degree | | | | problem-solving ability--something a graduate |
| from a highly reputable institution known for its | | | | course cannot necessarily teach you. Once you |
| advanced math and financial management | | | | master the work, though, you may be astounded |
| programs. While there is some glamour associated | | | | at the financial benefits you will receive, since such |
| with the term financial engineer, the work of such | | | | jobs typically pay more than $100,000. |