FW: quant job

-----Original Message-----
From: Azhar Abdul-Quader [mailto:azhar@hardstone.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 1:16 AM
To: 'job-16003755@craigslist.org'
Subject: FW: quant job

To Whom It May Concern:

I am applying for the quantitative position posted on Craig’s List. I feel that I am a good fit for the position based on my education and experience. I graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Mathematics and Economics. I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Mathematics with application to Finance at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. The program at Courant covers such concepts as the Black Scholes option pricing model, futures markets, forward and futures prices, swaps, interest rates and derivatives, trading strategies involving options, behavior of stock prices, capital asset pricing theory, discounted cash flow, Greek Letters, estimating volatilities and correlations, credit derivatives, volatility smiles, as well as currency hedging. At the present time I would like to apply my education and gain more experience in the field of quantitative finance. I am particularly excited about the opportunity to learn more about structuring, pricing and marketing swap and option products.

Over the past few years, I have gained extensive experience covering several areas in business development – from equity financing to launching commercial ventures in international emerging markets. As an analyst at Hardstone Capital, a boutique investment bank, I gained tremendous experience by participating in financial advisory work for small and mid-size companies. Through my experience at Hardstone, I’ve developed excellent skills in Excel modeling with VBA, statistical analysis using programs SAS/SPSS, market research and competitor analysis, and presentation using PowerPoint. This past year, as a business development associate at Net2Phone, Inc. a fast growing telecommunications company, I gained invaluable experience in building businesses in emerging markets such as Panama, Jamaica, Brazil and Bangladesh. Besides gaining valuable exposure to the international markets, I developed strong skills in financial analysis, modeling, and presentation. Additionally, by participating in senior-level negotiations with partners and investors, I have developed confidence in interacting with executives.

As I am considering entering the field of quantitative finance, I would like to your firm in a quantitative role. Besides its reputable status as a world-class financial institution, your firm would provide me invaluable exposure to complex derivatives and more quantitative finance. Additionally, because I have significant experience in creating PowerPoint presentations and complex spread sheet models, I feel I would be a great match for the position and would be an asset to your firm. My specific skill set coupled with my diverse experience and education places me at an advantage to other candidates.

The attached resume provides an overview of my skills and qualifications.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Azhar M. Abdul-Quader