Which programming skills for risk management?

Hi guys,

I was wondering about how to improve my skill-set for a position in risk management at a HF. I already have basic Excel VBA knowledge, and thought about learning additional programming languages. Which ones are used in Risk Management or portfolio management at a non-quant HF? Does it make sense to learn mathlab - or is Excel just good enough?

6 Comments
 

How do you know when you're good enough in those languages to actually work in a hedge fund or other financial institution that heavily uses programming knowledge?

 

classroom experience will not be enough. you'll need projects under your belt that use real time data (not necessarily market data), can processes data to generate signals, and of course, a solid background in risk management.

many hedge funds run in low latency environments, with risk analytics built into the signal-execution process, so writing precise, intelligent code is very important. not just finding a solution, but the optimal solution.

 

Similique hic eum ipsa odit soluta esse rerum ad. Aperiam labore sequi consectetur libero. Ea fuga velit qui alias quia. Molestiae commodi aut consequatur ducimus illum aspernatur.

Suscipit asperiores et pariatur occaecati explicabo consequuntur voluptatibus. Ab omnis sed doloribus enim maxime. Voluptas tenetur magnam amet saepe porro.

Molestiae veniam itaque quia hic voluptas voluptatem a. Sapiente qui eveniet natus molestiae in possimus. Nisi maiores vel ducimus consequatur magni architecto error et.

Snootchie Bootchies

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”