I'm a recent grad with master's in pure math from mid-tier Canadian university.
During my job search I was given advice to apply to a few financial engineering programs to become a quant and boost my salary potential.
I'd like to get a second opinion to figure out if this is a good idea for me.
I love working on hard math problems and making a career out of it would be amazing.
My master's thesis had a heavy algebra focus. I've studied a decent bit of analysis but I'm rusty at best (measure theory would need a lot of review) and I'm comparatively even weaker at probability and stats.
I can write loops and basic classes in Python and C++ but I've never done what I would consider serious coding in these languages.
I know what a stock and a bond is and how basic derivatives like forwards, futures and calls/puts work but that's about the extent of my financial knowledge.
A sentiment I've seen in threads and articles about quants is that this a career for math geniuses. I can say without reservation I am not one of them. I am good at math but I'm also realistic about where I stand. I had classmates in my undergrad who were Putnam competitors, who finished their degrees early and direct entried to PhD at top schools, and I cannot hold a candle to them.
Is quantitative finance a field I can enter and succeed in after some schooling or should I not waste my time and continue my search elsewhere?
During my job search I was given advice to apply to a few financial engineering programs to become a quant and boost my salary potential.
I'd like to get a second opinion to figure out if this is a good idea for me.
I love working on hard math problems and making a career out of it would be amazing.
My master's thesis had a heavy algebra focus. I've studied a decent bit of analysis but I'm rusty at best (measure theory would need a lot of review) and I'm comparatively even weaker at probability and stats.
I can write loops and basic classes in Python and C++ but I've never done what I would consider serious coding in these languages.
I know what a stock and a bond is and how basic derivatives like forwards, futures and calls/puts work but that's about the extent of my financial knowledge.
A sentiment I've seen in threads and articles about quants is that this a career for math geniuses. I can say without reservation I am not one of them. I am good at math but I'm also realistic about where I stand. I had classmates in my undergrad who were Putnam competitors, who finished their degrees early and direct entried to PhD at top schools, and I cannot hold a candle to them.
Is quantitative finance a field I can enter and succeed in after some schooling or should I not waste my time and continue my search elsewhere?
