Advice on Career/School Choice

[Dcai]

Hi Everyone,

I am a graduating senior from a non-target state university, double majoring in Finance and Math. I have a very strong finance background. Pretty good at math, but have limited exposure to programming right now(Plan on taking C++ in summer). I have always wanted to be a trader, and would love to open a hedge fund in future.

I am currently admitted to BU, Rutgers and UCLA, and have a potential job offer from UBS New York for a sales&trading position. I have to make a decision by mid May.

I am not sure if which school I should go to or take the job if I could become a trader right away. A big reason I want to purse a master of financial engineering/ mathematical finance is to study finance by mathematical reasoning, potentially becoming a quant trader.

Any advice is appreciated

Thanks

 

[Moumou]

It's obvious for me. Take the job! A lot of students from BU Rutgers and UCLA would love to get a trading position at UBS in New York.

 

[Andy D.]

Take the UBS job if you can. If you do get it, save some money up so if you want to (or get made unemployed and thus have time on your hands) take a MFE etc. in future you have funds!

 

[Ohad]

Hi Everyone,

I am a graduating senior from a non-target state university, double majoring in Finance and Math. I have a very strong finance background. Pretty good at math, but have limited exposure to programming right now(Plan on taking C++ in summer). I have always wanted to be a trader, and would love to open a hedge fund in future.

I am currently admitted to BU, Rutgers and UCLA, and have a potential job offer from UBS New York for a sales&trading position. I have to make a decision by mid May.

I am not sure if which school I should go to or take the job if I could become a trader right away. A big reason I want to purse a master of financial engineering/ mathematical finance is to study finance by mathematical reasoning, potentially becoming a quant trader.

Any advice is appreciated

Thanks

Hi,

I'm no expert on Quant optimal career routes but if this job is a pretty good job with potential, I would take it.
Nothing beats experience + you can always go back to school afterwards.

Getting a job and actually seeing the industry will help you know better what you prefer to do later.

Good luck,
Ohad.

 

[bluechimp]

Getting paid to learn > Paying to learn

 

[Richard Phu]

I'm with everyone else, take the job.

 

[TBeas]

Job for sure.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

have a potential job offer from UBS New York for a sales&trading position.

You don't have an offer in hand yet, correct?

 

[Dcai]

You don't have an offer in hand yet, correct?

I do not have an offer right now, but I think the chance of getting that offer is pretty high.
However if I do not get the offer, I am leaning toward going to UCLA at this moment

 

[euroazn]

Go for the job if you can. Is UCLA cheaper for you?

 

[Dcai]

Thank you all for your comments,

I am not really pursuing a mfe degree for jobs. It is really to satisfy my own quest for quantitative knowledge.
I feel as I grow old, my learning ability is going to diminish.That is one of the reasons I want to go to school while I am still young.

However even if I get the job and take it, I would want to enroll in one of the programs in new york and take 1 course per semester.

 

[Dcai]

Go for the job if you can. Is UCLA cheaper for you?

UCLA is the most expensive out the three since I have a scholarship from Boston. However I like UCLA the most purely for its faculty members.

 

[Ohad]

Thank you all for your comments,

I am not really pursuing a mfe degree for jobs. It is really to satisfy my own quest for quantitative knowledge.
I feel as I grow old, my learning ability is going to diminish.That is one of the reasons I want to go to school while I am still young.

However even if I get the job and take it, I would want to enroll in one of the programs in new york and take 1 course per semester.

Assuming the job offered is in the field you're interested in than you'll learn allot in your job and you'll learn the most relevant issues.
Also, you can always learn on yourself or take 1-2 courses while not being in the program , get some credits and maybe later on use them for some degree (although I'm not an expert on the technicalities of doing this in the US).