Breaking into quant trading with my unconventional background?

[jaytee]

My academic background:
I graduated top of my class in chemical engineering from a top 5 UK university 3 years ago.
I complete a masters in management at Oxbridge one year ago.
I'm based in the UK.

However, my main focus for the last 7 years has been cryptocurrency trading, which I have been doing obsessively and independently. This has been more based on strategy and observing market dynamics rather than quant analysis, though I'm hoping to use my market experience as an asset combined with my past academic background to progress into quant trading. I also have proficiency in self-taught CS (I used to create simple market indicator bots etc), and confident I can improve my mental maths.

My difficulty now though is it seems entry is directed towards current undergraduates, or via their internship pipeline (which seem only open to undergrads). Since I graduated from masters 12 months ago, I'm not sure this route is open to me. I am wonder whether quant trading is still possible for me, and if so what my best route in would be?

If it makes a difference - I'm pursuing quant trading since my experience in crypto taught me I need to build a real career in something I'm actually passionate in, and quant trading/market making seems to align perfectly. I'm therefore pretty driven, if there's only a potential entry. I also have no time constraints to develop any skills needed.

Thank you!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Your options is to network with folks in similar space or apply at a small firm as an experienced hire.
Fact is there are lot of retail traders especially in the crypto space and unless they make a big splash in the news, it's really really hard to play the crypto game to the big league.
Folks do a quant master programs for this reasons. Even with master, it's still extremely competitive. 1 openings for 1000 applicants.

 

[jaytee]

Your options is to network with folks in similar space or apply at a small firm as an experienced hire.
Fact is there are lot of retail traders especially in the crypto space and unless they make a big splash in the news, it's really really hard to play the crypto game to the big league.
Folks do a quant master programs for this reasons. Even with master, it's still extremely competitive. 1 openings for 1000 applicants.

Thank you Andy! A few followup questions - what do you mean by 'similar space'? Is that in context of alumni network etc, or are you saying to find people who broke in from a crypto background too? And as a reference point, what would you say is an example of a small firm?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Yes. There are finance firms that expands into crypto. That is the most logical path in my opinion.
Big firms have very rigid recruitment structure so small firms that have few hundreds employees or less is more flexible to untraditional applicants.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

You may find this reading informative.

 

[jaytee]

You may find this reading informative.

This is remarkable timing - I was just in the middle of typing my question to which this is the answer to! Thank you so much Andy, this looks invaluable.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This is a niche industry and sometimes all you need is the right piece of clue.