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What to study?

Joined
8/22/12
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Hello everyone
I am currently studying in college and pursuing my Engineering degree(Bachelors). I am interested in getting started in the financial industry after I complete my graduation and eventually work my way up to become a quant. What should I study alongside my engineering courses so as to be able to get a job as a junior level quant ?
Any advice is heartily welcome. Thanks in advance.

(I am ready to work as hard as required for the same.)
 
Somewhat depends on what your program covers but I would recommend taking extra courses in math and computer science and even a few finance and/or economics if you can.

And try to do 1 or 2 internships in finance if you can (investment banking, asset management, hedge fund, etc)
 
From my own experience it is difficult to land a quant gig with only a bachelors degree. This market only makes job hunting more difficult. I interned in a market risk quant department, while as an undergrad, and was told to come back when I was enrolled in a Ph.D. program. My boss told me, "You need a Ph.D." I would not neccessarily say you need a Ph.D. because many people on these forums land gigs with MFE/MS degrees. It was just the culture of the firm I was at, all Ph.D.s in hard sciences like physics and math.

I recommend studying for the GRE/GMAT and intend on pursuing a MS/MFE or even Ph.D. It all depends on what your career goals are and what you want to do. Finance Ph.D. programs are fiercely competitive so that might not be an option unless you are the exception. If you want your career options to be open and you're willing to commit 4-5 years of study, go for a Ph.D. The upside is that teaching finance pays very well, 100k-200k per year depending on your record. Not bad for a 9 month per year job where you get summers off to travel. But if you're deadset on a quant gig, the MFE is the better choice because it can range from 1-2 years. And you'll make a lot more money down the line compared to teaching.
 
In my opinion, as long as you can read academic papers and implement what you read with computer languages such as C++, Java, python, and so on, you could do a quant job. But being able to do the job does not mean you could get such a job. Try Google or consult your university career office about how to get an quant internship or a job. Hope this helps.
 
No I am not from the minority. I am from India.

You can also try Inroads.org, they help with finding internships with fortune 500 companies. I got my market risk internship through them. But I interned in 2008, amidst the financial crisis and my boss just didn't have a budget to hire me. -=(. Inroads provides leadership training while you're interning and its a great way to network with other interns. At MetLife, they hired 133 Inroads interns and they once had a 93% offer rate, that went down the drain during the crisis. Give them a shot, it worked for me.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice. Just one more question -

I am thinking about getting into one of the MFE/MSF programs. I am currently majoring in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (2nd year). Any hope for me ( I read that they prefer CS/EE students) ? If yes what should I do to increase my chances of getting one ?

Thanks in advance
 
Hello everyone
I am currently studying in college and pursuing my Engineering degree(Bachelors). I am interested in getting started in the financial industry after I complete my graduation and eventually work my way up to become a quant. What should I study alongside my engineering courses so as to be able to get a job as a junior level quant ?
Any advice is heartily welcome. Thanks in advance.

(I am ready to work as hard as required for the same.)
Take accounting. Take time series. Take economics.
 
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