"编程是个机械的工作，自学很容易。很多模型及金融理论以及具体问题的分析能力这才是金融工程学习的核心！"
You may be referring to procedural languages. Object oriented programming is certainly not a "机械的工作." Object oriented programming requires a lot of thought in terms of getting the design right, if we are talking about a large code base (like QuantLib). Of course, you can put no thought at all into it and think its mechanical, but anyone with experience will be able to spot the difference very quickly.
I'm a quant, but when I was hiring in China, I was looking for objected oriented programmers, not "quants." Basically, what I was looking for was to see how people code, which gives me a clue into how his/her brain is organized and maps out information, in the process of solving problems. You want a clear, logical thinker who can translate his/her ideas into something lasting, like a piece of software. You can test someone on the Black Scholes equation, or stochastic calculus but.... who cares ? That's been done already and anyone who can think clearly and logically will be able to grab a book and understand it.
