I am an HFT Programmer
This is a huge load of bullshit.  99% of the "banking programmers" are some of the worst coders in the world.  A vast majority of them just babysit a Bloomberg terminal, barely understanding the supposed math they use all day.  Others just babysit an Excel spreadsheet, or worse, develop whole applications in Excel then try to get a real programmer to "build it".  The lower echelons are even worse and just make shitty C# and Java web apps that are huge wastes of money.<p>The supposed "C++ optimizer" guys are some of the worst.  They're the guys who go off and make algorithms they think are blazing fast, and sure for one tiny little use maybe, but then when you actually see the code it's a huge convolute mess for nothing.  It's usually riddled with bugs, not in source control (Clearcase), only if it is only because the Compliance Dept. told them to, and they refuse to share because they're too damn competitive.<p>I've even seen projects by some of the top guys that were built <i>by hand</i>.  No make file because the dude didn't trust make.<p>Don't even get me started about these jackasses that think their huge monolithic shitpiles of Java code are somehow superior, yet the only reason their code can actually run is because some bank sunk millions (and maybe billions) into infrastructure just to run that crap even moderately fast.  I had one project where the damn process used so much ram per request they had to go buy an Azul box just to make it run even at 2 req/sec.  That was their "cream of the crop" coders.<p>Finally, they constantly do this thing where they say, "Oh man my code is so awesome it's written in C++ and is so fast. No you can't see it.  Oh but I make $500k a year!"  They equate how awesome their code is by how much they make, but rarely have any idea of what other people's code is like.<p>Honey, if all you can make from your corrupt financial masters is $500k while they make billions and trillions then you're not a very good coder.  And if I can't see your damn code, then you're a damn liar.<p>Take it from a guy who thought he'd run into some quality in the finance world.  There is none, they just have so much money they can't help but make tons of it.