Becoming a Quant without relevant Education

[GToul]

Guys hello. It is very nice to meet you. After a lot of researching and reading i have come to the conclusion that this forum might be the most appropriate to give me some useful insight on the "way" to become a quant. I would like to inform you that I have searched quite a bit for a similar thread and failed to find one. However, in case there is one I would like to apologise in advance for creating a duplicate.

A few things about myself. I have graduated from an BSc in economics with distinction and an MSc in Finance(not pure unfortunately) from a highly reputable university in the UK with distinction. I enjoyed econometrics, maths and stats very much but for some unexplained reason I did not decide to follow that path earlier. After I finished my MSc(2016 Sept.) I managed to find a job as a quant model validator(not in a BB). Of course I knew that I didn't have the relevant knowledge-computing wise as well as stochastic and probability wise- but still I was quite excited about it. Although the role has nothing to do with a proper quant's analyst role my title now is Quantitative Analyst; irony . I am doing many models in excel and vba which are mainly based on portfolio theory.

The reasons I need your valuable help are the following:
I have come to the conclusion that I really like programming(self-taught in Python;still learning of course) and also quantitative analysis. As I have already told you I have always enjoyed maths and stats. So would I be able to be admitted in a Financial Math or Financial Engineering MSc with my background?Because I think it will be quite hard.

I currently have the title of a QA but I am not a QA. If I apply for a QA role, I will clearly and reasonably be rejected. So according to my wokring experience I will be trying to compete people from hardcore quant degrees without having the required qualifications. The recipe to failure.

Long story short, I am willing to do whatever it takes to follow what I "believe" I like. And I am using "believe" cause you can never be sure, especially when you are 24; at least not me. But I do not know if I can do it and even if I can, I do not know the way.

Honestly, I would be more than thankful if you could provide me with some useful insight and opinions.

I would like to thank you in advance and apologise in case I have tired you.

 

[yetanotherquant]

Although the role has nothing to do with a proper quant's analyst role my title now is Quantitative Analyst; irony.

Congrats! I cannot say for your country but in Germany it is much more important for career how your previous job was named rather than what you actually did.

I am doing many models in excel and vba which are mainly based on portfolio theory.

Portfolio theory?
I am interested in your opinion about the sensitivity of the models to the parameter estimation errors. Here (last R-Script) I give an example of it.

The reasons I need your valuable help are the following:
I have come to the conclusion that I really like programming(self-taught in Python;still learning of course) and also quantitative analysis. As I have already told you I have always enjoyed maths and stats. So would I be able to be admitted in a Financial Math or Financial Engineering MSc with my background?

Yes, at least I did. My first degree was in (non-quantitative) economics.

I currently have the title of a QA but I am not a QA. If I apply for a QA role, I will clearly and reasonably be rejected. So according to my wokring experience I will be trying to compete people from hardcore quant degrees without having the required qualifications. The recipe to failure.

Not necessarily. But don't expect that you will solve really challenging problems as a quant.
Most likely it will be mostly a routine job. And don't expect advanced mathematical methods will really help you. Remember what Emanuel Derman said once: your model is only as good as your data are!