Trouble with early career, looking for advice

[dustykeyboard]

Hello,

I am currently in the final semester for my M.S. in Financial Engineering @ Stevens Tech (3.96/4.0 GPA). I hold a B.A in Physics and Computer Science from Hamilton College. I interned at PNC Bank as a quant analytics intern but turned down the return offer due to several reasons.

I am set to graduate in December 2025 and have been applying for entry level roles both buy side and sell side with little to no luck. After I find a job, I do my best to try and reach out to either school alumni or campus recruiters on or near the desk I've applied to. I have yet to receive a first round interview for any of the roles.

I am not sure if there is something glaringly wrong with my resume or profile but I am here asking for help. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks so much.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

It's tough out there for MFE students trying to break in without any inside connection or something standing out.
Your resume looks pretty standard, nothing weird jumping out. Maybe that's the issue where companies receive thousands of similar ones.
It may be worth it to try to employ the service of someone who done this for a living? @Ash Cross ?
I hope you saw her piece before and have done everything she laid out here.

Thread 'MFE Recruiting Reality Check: What Every Incoming Student Needs to Know'

4/10/25

So you got into a MFE Program… Now What?​

There are plenty of articles on how to get into a MFE program… but how do you prepare for the intensely competitive internship recruiting that comes with a graduate program in quantitative finance?

I’m happy to share some insights from my three years of experience working in Career Services for Carnegie Mellon’s MSCF (Master of Science in Computational Finance) program.

The Reality of U.S. Recruitment
*Note: As majority of my students have landed internships and full-time roles in the US, I will focus on how to prepare for...

• Ash Cross
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Articles

• 
• 

 

[Ash Cross]

I agree that your resume looks pretty standard. It really is tough competition this year especially between layoffs, changes in visa policy, and firms thinking they can replace entry-level with AI. Thousands of students and experienced professionals are applying for jobs with lower pay.

There are definitely some opportunities for improvement here - but I'd also want to know:
1) Where, when, and how are you applying?
2) What roles are you applying for? Right now, you're leaning toward risk and dev between your titles and skills, but it's unclear with trading thrown in at the end and the coursework being too standard/generic (I see these on every resume).

The resume needs to look like the role you want (make it obvious) within 10 seconds to the recruiter and hiring manager. But don't just add buzzwords - provide context. Here's my article on providing context and metrics, which right now are two elements I'd like to see more of in your resume.

3) How are you leveraging Stevens' career services tools? Like Handshake and school-specific job databases or application tools.

4) Are you getting alumni to give you feedback on your resume?

5) And what are your outreach messages to alumni and recruiters saying.

Happy to dive deeper during a coaching appointment! - Ash

It's tough out there for MFE students trying to break in without any inside connection or something standing out.
Your resume looks pretty standard, nothing weird jumping out. Maybe that's the issue where companies receive thousands of similar ones.
It may be worth it to try to employ the service of someone who done this for a living? @Ash Cross ?
I hope you saw her piece before and have done everything she laid out here.

Thread 'MFE Recruiting Reality Check: What Every Incoming Student Needs to Know'

4/10/25

So you got into a MFE Program… Now What?​

There are plenty of articles on how to get into a MFE program… but how do you prepare for the intensely competitive internship recruiting that comes with a graduate program in quantitative finance?

I’m happy to share some insights from my three years of experience working in Career Services for Carnegie Mellon’s MSCF (Master of Science in Computational Finance) program.

The Reality of U.S. Recruitment
*Note: As majority of my students have landed internships and full-time roles in the US, I will focus on how to prepare for...

• Ash Cross
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Articles

• 
• 

 

[Andy Nguyen]

You got a lot of money worth from her advice right there @dustykeyboard

 

[dustykeyboard]

It's tough out there for MFE students trying to break in without any inside connection or something standing out.
Your resume looks pretty standard, nothing weird jumping out. Maybe that's the issue where companies receive thousands of similar ones.
It may be worth it to try to employ the service of someone who done this for a living? @Ash Cross ?
I hope you saw her piece before and have done everything she laid out here.

Thread 'MFE Recruiting Reality Check: What Every Incoming Student Needs to Know'

4/10/25

So you got into a MFE Program… Now What?​

There are plenty of articles on how to get into a MFE program… but how do you prepare for the intensely competitive internship recruiting that comes with a graduate program in quantitative finance?

I’m happy to share some insights from my three years of experience working in Career Services for Carnegie Mellon’s MSCF (Master of Science in Computational Finance) program.

The Reality of U.S. Recruitment
*Note: As majority of my students have landed internships and full-time roles in the US, I will focus on how to prepare for...

• Ash Cross
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Articles

• 
• 

Great, thank you!

 

[dustykeyboard]

@Ash Cross This is great, thank you so much. I sent you a DM, would very much appreciate the opportunity to connect further.