Do I even have a chance at quant?

[mrbizzniss]

A little background on myself, I graduated in 2017 with a BBA in finance and a very low gpa (2.6). I’m not going to make excuses for the low gpa but I can say for certain that there were major issues in my life during that time, family issues, death of a close friend and mental health issues that attributed to that. Right after graduating I got a call center type job where I worked very briefly, 4 months. In that time I achieved 3 awards and was soon promoted to a back office role in our futures clearing team. With a colleague we automated 90% of our work. Soon after I discovered quant and quickly wanted to transition into the field. Knowing that I couldn’t get into any top programs I attended a coding bootcamp (data science), where I focused on financial data sets. Since finishing I’ve interviewed around for different roles but have yet to receive an offer. I’m stuck now, knowing that I probably can’t get into a top 10, let alone top 20 school, is this field worth pursuing? I can say for certain that this is a passion of mine, just want to be realistic with the outcome.

Thanks

 

[benzenephi]

It depends on how much you want it and whether you really want it. You keep trying, eventually you will get it. But it may take years to get that lucky break. For me, I had zero finance experience and a low gpa. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life other than being a quant. So I stuck with the process, and got it. You might have to settle for less relevant stuff till you gain some experience. But don't let anybody tell you you can't do if thats what you truly want.

 

[Paul Lopez]

It depends on how much you want it and whether you really want it. You keep trying, eventually you will get it. But it may take years to get that lucky break. For me, I had zero finance experience and a low gpa. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life other than being a quant. So I stuck with the process, and got it. You might have to settle for less relevant stuff till you gain some experience. But don't let anybody tell you you can't do if thats what you truly want.

Excellent post!!!