[1] Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews by Timothy Falcon Crack Excellent book containing hundreds of solved sample problems from Wall Street interviews. Useful appendices review important finance concepts. [2] Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives by John C. Hull The finance bible, required reading for all Wall Street jobs. [3] Numerical Analysis by Lee W. Johnson and R. Dean Riess This book is out of print but any other introductory numerical analysis book should do. [4] The Princeton Review: Cracking the GRE: Math by Steven A. Leduc Concise review of undergraduate mathematics; should be able to answer questions on this material on the spot. [5] Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Derivatives by Salih N. Neftci More mathematically sound than Hull's book [2], though it covers less material. [6] Stochastic Differential Equations: An Introduction with Applications by Bernt K. Oksendal An excellent introduction to stochastic calculus, required knowledge for most quantitative jobs.
guess the life span is pretty ok, initial 7-10 years building relationship and knowledge... after 10 years, either head of xxx or out open your own business with your own relationship.... after 20 years, should be able retired already...
with the experiences and contact network accumulated through years of working you can start your own firm. A lot of senior banks ran their own business now.