Hi folks, really want to discuss my situation with someone from an outside perspective. Sorry for the long post in advance, and thanks!
My profile :
Top undergrad : dual degree in electronics(BE) and Math (MSc). Decent grades (8/10) Internships in QR and market risk desk in BB
1 yr sell side exp (market risk desk in BB)
Came to US for an MFE (think Cornell, Columbia). 3.9/4
8 months as a data scientist at a hedge fund (think Acadian, Wellington)
2 years as a Research Analyst in an Asset management firm (think Fidelity, State Street, Invesco)
Long story short, my STEM OPT visa expires March 2024. the H1B lottery screwed me. Internal mobility to a different country through my firm is not an option that is open to me now.
One option for me is to focus on getting a new job in the UK, ideally as a QR. (still figuring out the possibilities of this happening, visa issues etc, but I am hopeful for more opportunities to open up after new years).
Meanwhile, I have been considering applying for PhD programs. Would I consider getting a PhD if it wasn't for this predicament I am in? Doubt it. Am I only looking at PhD like an option for me to continue staying in the US? No. While I am content with the work I get to do at my firm and while it is technically QR, I feel that the research is not as cutting edge or exciting in the global equity low frequency factor space. If it weren't for the visa issues I think I would start interviewing at firms like millennium or Point72. I still think it would be hard for me to move into a research position at firms like SIG/Tower/TGS/Virtu/TwoSigma which I aim for in the long run. Despite having two masters degrees I have always focused on getting good internships, but never got the opportunity to produce research publications. And I have not gotten the opportunity to do that at my current position as a research analyst so far in the firm either. (Not that I need to produce publications, but it would certainly help if I did to move forward in my career to better roles I think.)
Pros of going into a PhD:
I don't want to pursue PhD from any school just because of my visa situation, going through the above programs I think will add substantial value to me in the long term.
I have put my views as they are, my thoughts around PhD are still in the nascent stages, excuse my naivety, I want to hear your thoughts on my conceptions of getting a PhD and the choice of programs. I have reached out to people who have graduated from these programs and working as QRs in the Industry to get more insight. Any advise is highly appreciated, thanks!
My profile :
Top undergrad : dual degree in electronics(BE) and Math (MSc). Decent grades (8/10) Internships in QR and market risk desk in BB
1 yr sell side exp (market risk desk in BB)
Came to US for an MFE (think Cornell, Columbia). 3.9/4
8 months as a data scientist at a hedge fund (think Acadian, Wellington)
2 years as a Research Analyst in an Asset management firm (think Fidelity, State Street, Invesco)
Long story short, my STEM OPT visa expires March 2024. the H1B lottery screwed me. Internal mobility to a different country through my firm is not an option that is open to me now.
One option for me is to focus on getting a new job in the UK, ideally as a QR. (still figuring out the possibilities of this happening, visa issues etc, but I am hopeful for more opportunities to open up after new years).
Meanwhile, I have been considering applying for PhD programs. Would I consider getting a PhD if it wasn't for this predicament I am in? Doubt it. Am I only looking at PhD like an option for me to continue staying in the US? No. While I am content with the work I get to do at my firm and while it is technically QR, I feel that the research is not as cutting edge or exciting in the global equity low frequency factor space. If it weren't for the visa issues I think I would start interviewing at firms like millennium or Point72. I still think it would be hard for me to move into a research position at firms like SIG/Tower/TGS/Virtu/TwoSigma which I aim for in the long run. Despite having two masters degrees I have always focused on getting good internships, but never got the opportunity to produce research publications. And I have not gotten the opportunity to do that at my current position as a research analyst so far in the firm either. (Not that I need to produce publications, but it would certainly help if I did to move forward in my career to better roles I think.)
Pros of going into a PhD:
1. It would give me the time to focus on learning and producing research and also gives me the opportunity to hone my skills as a researcher and bolster my profile as a researcher in the industry.
2. I have a few ideas and side projects I always wanted to work on, I can look for ways to integrate them into my curriculum/research or simply work on them on the side during my time in PhD.
3. this is a tangent, but another idea is to focus my research on topics related to ML techniques. I love working with data and ML algorithms, dont mind if it isn't exactly finance or quant space that I end up in in the future. Along with the firms I mentioned above, I think this would help me pivot into research positions at FAANG too, which is also an exciting space for me.
4. I get to stay in US with my friends and family. While I am willing and open to move to UK and explore my career and life there (not that it is a given), it hurts me to leave my life I built here in the US behind. Pursuing a PhD in a subject I am passionate about and from a good school is the only way I could let myself stay here.
Programs I have been looking into : Princeton ORFE, Berkeley Statistics, Stanford MS&E, Cornell OR, UofChicago Booth school Econometric and Statistics PhDI don't want to pursue PhD from any school just because of my visa situation, going through the above programs I think will add substantial value to me in the long term.
I have put my views as they are, my thoughts around PhD are still in the nascent stages, excuse my naivety, I want to hear your thoughts on my conceptions of getting a PhD and the choice of programs. I have reached out to people who have graduated from these programs and working as QRs in the Industry to get more insight. Any advise is highly appreciated, thanks!
