Python + Numpy + Panda >>>> R.
Don’t bother with learning anything else. The only thing you need in your toolkit is Python
That being said, language is a tool and should be used as such. When you do carpeting work, you don’t use only 1 type of screw driver, do you?
I agree that there’s a lot to be said for Python with the Numpy and Panda libraries. It is likely to be a few years before the statistical libraries catch up with R, but if you’re starting out now, Python has the advantage of being a more general-purpose language, so if you learn it, you can apply it to things other than data analysis, which improves the salability of your skills.
I’m not convinced that it’s >>>> better than R, if what you’re targeting is a data analysis tool, but it’s not a bad way to go if you’re just starting out, and has some useful advantages that you don’t get with R.
I want some Numpy too.
I do like the Python + Numpy + Pandas stack. It doesn’t have the quirks of R.
The main downside (more wrt to Matlab or C++ than R) is that it’s slow. If you don’t care that much about speed, then it’s fine. There are some ways to speed up python (numba, for instance), and I’ve also heard good things about calling julia from Python. Also, if what you need is some cutting edge statistical package, it is more likely to be available in R than Python. I’m also not very happy with some of the python optimizers. I spent hours trying to get ipopt to work with Python through two different packages, but neither worked. ipoptr works fine. Weird.
Credit Suisse apparently has following outlines in India:
1)Junior Risk management role:(Exel /Access skills are a must)
2)Risk management role:(Exel/Access/VBA are a must)
3)Senior risk management role:(Exel/Access/VBA/SQL are a must)
It doesn’t hurt to know one or many of the programs / languages you mentioned in your OP rahul. Especially if you have some free time. SPSS is very easy to get accustomed to and will satisfy many statistical reasonings firms use. If you’re Quant oriented, I would agree with bchad that R or Matlab is the way to go.
SAS / Stata is used more in econometrics as I have a friend who does electricity analysis for GE and they use SAS.
As far as job hunting networking / reaching out will get you more chances to interview than putting Matlab / SPSS / SAS expert on your resume
Here is a helpful link that I’ve referenced in the past that outlines the major software packages and their strengths.
^
Thanks.