Career advice for a prop trading firm software engineer with graduate degree in mathematics

[Eric.Z]

Hi Guys,

I was browsing through the site and found quite a few people in a similar situation as I am. As such, I decided to write this post hoping that people can shed some light on my situation. I know you guys are experts in this and can offer invaluable insights. So please help.

I am a few years out of college(non target school) and have finished a master degree in mathematics part time while working at a trading firm as a developer.

I am interested in math and finance. My graduate GPA is above 3.9 and I am very good at quant finance related math such as measure and integration, functional analysis, measure theoretic probability, stochastic calculus etc. In addition, I have done a quite a few work in statistics and machine learning and know finance phd level asset pricing quite well.

My goal is to locate a quantitative finance position. I believe my skill covers more than a master's in financial engineering/quant finance and I am well prepared for interviews. However, most career inquiries I have got so far are on the engineering side of the trading business; I have tried applying for quant jobs, but was not quite successful in terms of getting interviews. I wonder at what institutions do I have a shot locating a quant position and what can I do to get interviews.

For my current employer, the minimum requirement for a quant is a PhD degree; many have extensive research experience in academia beyond phd. Some have even been faculty members at renowned universities. The quant department at my current firm easily makes a top notch college math department, which apparently I do not qualify and do not see myself transitioning to.

Please be generous with you advice. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Best

 

[Xiangyu Gu]

Can't specify any institutions as you requested. I believe most quant position nowadays are open to master level students, although a few firm are still quite restrictive on the level of education of the candidates. But that shouldn't harm your chances anyways.

Looks like you have got the background the employers are looking for. To get interviews, you have to talk to people and let them know you, as 80% of the jobs are filled by referrals of some form. That being said, broaden your connections is your best bet.

Alternatively, you can join a MFE program with good job placement service. There you can learn more practical quant skills and get help on finding jobs.