I know this is a weird thing to mention (for some ET veterans) but I'm moving to Australia early next year. I've never been there or know much about it. Any tips or information about Sydney would help me out, especially the financial industry. As of my situation, I have a 2-month temporary project to work with a hedge fund and what they are trying to do is very appealing and challenging to me. So I'll be visiting down there for at least 2 months. As a weird guy that I am, I'm thinking of just moving down there for a change. (Chicago is starting to get cold, and it's more about running from from the freezing weather.) I also feel that I've been Americanatized enough and need to get back into Globalizing myself. Well... even if things go wrong I can always come back... but any tips on working as a Quantitative Developer/Researcher in Sydney would be great.
Ever see the trader on Bloomberg that covers from Sydney? Mean looking mother - gigantic, covered with scars, maybe even a bullet hole, and smart as shit. Guy always has direction right. Maybe sometime rent that Peter Weir movie "The Last Wave". Good flick, eerie. Funny story: Back when IB would lose all your pages, I frantically reloaded ASX 200 contract for a market order on Sunday night opening. But I put in the wrong year - so I was something like 13 months out. They filled me all right. I think I was the only trade that month. I tried to break it for clearly erroneous and IB or somebody else gave me the number of the counterparty MM - big outfit in NSW somewhere. Great guy, really funny, answered me and said "We thought someone might call." They wouldn't agree to an agreed break but said "Go put something up on the screen and we'll make you a market Mate". We laughed like hell. They had me good. Weeks went by with me trying to get rid of that bag - no bids at all. Finally I put up a 600 or 700AUD premium on it and they took me out. Sounds like a great adventure. You'll do fine. Geo.
Globalizing Very funny. What America and australia don't have in common? May be Hongkong ,Singapore or Japan meet your requirements better as a weirdo
I have it on good authority that all the high-flying quants in Australia rely on Qantas. http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/home/qualifier-region-au
I actually just returned from sydney. Being from NJ, i LOVED Australia. The people are nicer, and seemed very laid back, (Maybe it's the media being normal, and not trying to scare you with every broadcast). The food is good, smaller portions, and get this, they do not sell fosters at 95% of the bars!! haha. I wish I could go back. You have to fly to Cairns while you are there and go scuba diving in the reef. If there are more opportunities in Sydney, let me know, I would fly back tomorrow.