Anyone of you use programming languages in your daily jobs? VBA (does this count as a programming language?), Python, C++, javascript, MATLAB, SQL, etc.
Would you recommend taking the time to learn? Will it be advantageous in an interview?
Unless you are interviewing for a hardcore quantitative job with a bunch of total eggheads that truly believe you can model stock prices with a random walk, VBA is probably the most widely-applied of the languages you mention; i.e., the one you can use which can probably create usable solutions for most of the problems you will encounter in your work. Also, everybody has a copy of Excel on their computer so your application is instantly and widely distributable and usable. The other bennie to learning VBA is that you will find that if you pick up another language later on, Excel oftentimes serves as a useful “front end” for the outputs of the other language, so you would likely need to pick up bits of VBA anyhow.
And I would prefer to be spared any follow-up comments by users who can write “Hello World” and a handful of other useless functions in C++ or similar, speaking authoritatively as though VBA is some simpleton’s language. I would submit that anybody who truly feels this way about VBA has never written anything of substance in the language. As an analog, I want to understand the pros and cons of the French language from a Frenchman, not from some high school senior learning French and “impressing” people with the 10 phrases they know.
VBA is pretty useful in many environments, because excel is so widespread. I admit it is useful, but it somehow always feels a bit like using chewing gum to hold papers in place. It works, but the way modules hang on regular workbooks always seemed wierd to me, perhaps because I am thinking code should be able to exist separately from the gridwork of cells.
But I freely admit that that’s an aesthetic judgement. It does get the job done for a lot of everyday coding tasks.
I like using R for work that can’t be done simply in excel and have written several functions that grab data and do much of the analysis I had been doing in excel.
Depends what kind of job you’re looking for. Occasionally you may want to run simulations but for the most part, as an analyst on the buy-side or sell-side, you’re using your business judgment to figure out projections. You don’t need to know programming; what you really need to have is business judgment (which most people don’t) and know PEMDAS.
Parentheses
Exponents
Multiply
Divide
Add
Subtract
HOLLA!!!
Wouldn’t that be PEMDASH?
yes 
python
I know a lot of people who use python. It’s a neat language (though I still prefer R for my own work).
How about visual basic.net to create stand alone programs? I have been thinking of learning this language over the winter since it should be very similar to VBA.
Didn’t we used to say “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”?
I am taking a self-directed SAS crash course this weekend. Very cool stuff w/ analytics. there is some coding but it is something analysts use more and more. its not a ‘pure’ programming language like java
Even if you apply for a job that does not regularly involve programming, it is often beneficial to list programming languages on your resume. This is because programming is often indicative of quantitative or intellectual ability. Just like people here on the internet seem mystically clever with knowledge of Python, R, C, etc., so do resumes seem more impressive with the addition of these skills.
I’ve been actively searching for a job and these seem to be the most sought after skills:
R, MATLAB, Python, VBA, and SQL
Exactly! This is why I ask. A lot of jobs on indeed has this. So I’m wondering if this is mandatory or a “nice to have”. I heard that a lot of employers post more than enough requirements to deter those who aren’t serious in wanting the job.
Anyways, I know that I want to learn VBA for sure. I enjoy it. I just want to know if I should be diving into Python or C++ as well.
I took a Python class in college, and it made it much easier for me to pick up and understand VBA.
If you were to learn one of those two, I’d go with VBA for practical reasons. Being able to automate processes carried out on Excel to save your company hundreds of man hours really makes you look good.
I use VBA, and bloomberg api.
I would like to use R someday.