What is the job satisfaction of financial engineers?

[Yike Lu]

Moreover, could some quants with sufficient skills in Matlab or C++ end up in more programming-oriented jobs that have little to do with the financial sector? I'm just curious as to whether these could also serve as exit strategies.

MATLAB probably not. C++ most likely. Python or any of the web languages (hint hint) most definitely.

 

[C S]

Also, many quants are lacking in communication skills, which keeps them out of many areas.

Basically in finance you have two cultures, quantitative people and non-quantitative people. Each culture has a theory as to what's wrong with the other. Society at large finds problems with people of both cultures.